YOUNGSTERS came face to face with the real Father Christmas who came all the way from Lapland.

Santa made the journey from the Finnish town of Rovaniemi - dubbed the home of Christmas - to Durham City.

He met pupils from St Margaret's Primary School outside Durham Town Hall and then paid a visit to bring festive cheer to children in the Tree Tops ward at Durham's University Hospital.

He will be in the city's Milburngate Shopping Centre during this weekend's Durham Christmas Festival, receiving gifts donated for Operation Christmas Child.

Durham has forged a link with Rovaniemi, which is building a "house of Christmas" that will feature facets of the festive from various countries around the world.

Durham has been chosen to represent Britain and it will create a display on the history of Christmas cards for the new facility.

Angela Colbridge, of the Durham City Forum, said: "About 500,000 people visit Rovaniemi each year, 60 per cent of them from Britain and Ireland.

"Our display will be on the history of Christmas cards and I would like people with old Christmas cards to lend them to me so we can copy them for the display."

She added that participation in the venture could increase visitors to Durham and boost local traders.

"The Christmas Foundation in Rovaniemi is working on the House of Christmas from countries including the US, Germany, France and Japan, and we are the sole representative of the United Kingdom."

Santa will see a lantern procession of schoolchildren today at 4pm from the Milburngate Shopping Centre to Durham Cathedral where a Carol service will be held.