FATHER Christmas was put on Cheshire West and Chester Council’s naughty list after being slapped with a parking fine during the festive celebrations over the weekend.

The Christmas Extravaganza took over the town for a full day of Christmas activities on Saturday, November 26.

As things wound down a number of people parked on the market car park to help clear some of the stalls.

However, parking is restricted on the car park on Fridays and Saturdays after 5pm, and a number of people – including Santa Clause himself – ended up breaching the restrictions.

Sam Finch, who moved to Northwich with her husband and three children in October, said she parked next to Santa’s vehicle to help clear some boxes.

She returned minutes later to find the pair of them had been fined.

“The market had finished hours before so it seemed ridiculous,” Sam said.

“We were devastated and couldn't understand why it had happened. Father Christmas tried to cheer up our children who could see we were visibly upset.

“He was really upset as he had obviously been playing an integral part in the extravaganza and it would not have been the same without him, but the warden didn't care, he just told him to read the sign.

“Once we realised we had the ticket we didn't bother going back into the extravaganza instead we just went home.

"The kids were gutted but it just wasn't the place we wanted to be.”

Cllr Gaynor Sinar, CWAC ward member for Davenham and Moulton and chairman of Northwich BID, has urged anyone who was fined after 5pm on Saturday to appeal.

“There’s no need for it,” she said. “We’re really getting together as a town now, and then we do things like that, it doesn’t make sense.

“It contradicts the whole idea of wanting Northwich to grow.”

CWAC has now said as a gesture of good it will rescind any fines issued to vehicles that were properly parked within a bay after the market traders had left on Saturday, November 26.

Cllr Karen Shore, CWAC cabinet member for environment, said: “The car park was restricted to market traders for most of the day and the council issued a number of permits to people working on the event.

“The restrictions on the car park are under review as part of the Parking Strategy consultation”.