Santa model fitted with tracking device after theft

The new Santa Claus model has a built-in location tracker

A life-size model of Santa Claus has had a location tracker installed after its predecessor was stolen earlier this month.

Paul De Fraine has displayed the Father Christmas outside his home in Little Milton, Oxfordshire, every December for the "past four or five years".

This year's creation was taken on 5 December, and has since been replaced by a trackable copy.

Mr De Fraine said the outpouring of support he had received since the theft had been a "huge surprise".

Explaining why he creates the Santa model each year, he said: "All of the kids walk past our house to school, so we thought it would be a good opportunity to have something funny going on as they went to school before Christmas."

He added that he had "no idea" who had stolen this year's creation.

Local resident Liz Jones, who regularly walks her dog past Santa, said the theft was "disgraceful".

"It's difficult enough to find something to make children smile these days with all the rain and wind and miserable weather we've been having," she said.

In past years, Mr De Fraine has positioned his Santa figure in various different situations, including climbing a ladder, waving, and drinking a bottle of wine.

He said the replacement had been created with the help of "the local dealer of [plumbers] pipes", which the model is predominantly made of.

"The new one has got a tracker in it, so if they try it again it'll be tracked to wherever it gets dumped or whoever's house he ends up," he added.