YOUNG competition winners had the chance to meet the real Santa from Lapland.

The Durham City Forum, which organises the Durham Christmas Festival, held this weekend, invited children to write in and say why they wanted to meet him.

The competition, run with The Northern Echo and the Prince Bishops Shopping Centre, awarded prizes including a Northern Echo goodie bag, a photograph with Santa and tickets to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Durham's Gala Theatre.

Angela Colbridge, of the forum, said the competition attracted about 30 entries.

She said: "They were very good entries and they did lots of pictures with them.

"We are very pleased with the response, it was fantastic.

"For the children, meeting Santa was a real experience. There were lots of happy children."

The winners were: Daniel Suckling, seven, of Stanley, Anthony Hannant, six, of Hartlepool and Lucy Charilaou, eight, Niamh Smith, five, Cressida Appleton, four, Lucy Taylor, seven, Charlotte Bradley, six, William Moreland, six, Edward Moreland, three, and Louisa Coppock, six, all from the Durham area.