Image of the week
A brawl between 30 people dressed as Santa Claus was broken up by police with batons and CS spray. Fighting broke out in the centre of Newtown, Powys, following a charity fun run involving more than 4,000 Santas. Five people were hurt and there were five arrests.
Christmas spirit of the week
Church leaders have complained about Satan’s Grotto, a tourist attraction in York, where visitors can meet the Devil, sign away their souls and take away a severed finger as a gift. The grotto, opened for Christmas at the York Dungeon, also features robins roasting over an open fire and Santa boiled in a witch’s cauldron. “We’ve written to the attraction saying we would prefer if they did not do this,” said the Rev Roger Simpson, vicar of St Michael-le-Belfrey church. A spokesman for the devil said: “It’s tongue in cheek and our visitors love it.”
Error of the week
Members of the far-right British National party walked out on their own Christmas party after organisers accidentally hired a black DJ. “We had to be careful what we said when we did the raffle so we didn’t offend the guy,” said BNP official Bob Garner. The party, at a London hotel, was organised by the party central London branch. “He sounded white on the phone.” said Garner.
from the Sunday Times