FATHER Christmas swapped his reindeer and sleigh for a lifeboat crew and an inshore lifeboat.

Six crew members from Redcar Lifeboat Station pulled Father Christmas and Mayor Norah Cooney in the D-class lifeboat on its launching carriage from the Claxton Hotel to Redcar Clock on Sunday afternoon.

Dave Cammish, of Redcar lifeboat station, said: "The lads decided to dress in their lifeboat gear, rather than as reindeer, in case of the unlikely situation where they might have been called out to sea on a job."

He said until around the late Eighties, Father Christmas had been brought ashore, to the delight of local children, on the Sir James Knott offshore lifeboat.

The lifeboat is now on show at the Kirkleatham museum in Redcar. Mr Cammish said: "We used to take a plain-clothed Santa out to sea and he would put on his Santa's costume and come back to shore as Father Christmas, to the delight of the children."

Norah Cooney officially switched on the town's Christmas lights at dusk and the Beatlemanics gave an hour-long performance on the High Street stage for the second year running. There was also a brass band playing and Christmas carol singing.

Santa is now installed in his grotto from Monday, December 1, with opening times every afternoon from 12.30pm to 2.30pm, Saturdays from 10.30am to 3.30pm and Sundays 1pm to 3pm.