Christmas decorations: Essex man, 78, carves polystyrene Santa in lockdown

The festive scene in a front garden in Essex features a life-sized, polystyrene Santa as its centrepiece

A 78-year-old man spent lockdown carving an elaborate festive display from polystyrene for his front garden.

The scene outside Tony Rymill's home at Hatfield Peverel, Essex, shows Santa leaving presents in a living room.

It took him six months to build the life-sized model and items including a fireplace and grandfather clock.

The retired builder and architect said it was "an absolute pleasure" to make and the reaction of local children had been "wonderful" to see.

Other items painstakingly carved and painted include a grandfather clock and fireplace

Mr Rymill has created Halloween displays in the past but decided to switch to a Christmas theme this year so it could stay in place for an entire month.

Starting in June, he glued chunks of polystyrene together before painstakingly carving and painting the various parts in his shed.

He said: "As soon as you start shaving polystyrene, you get covered in it because it's static and the little beads cling to you.

Tony Rymill said working with the material was "very messy" as it stuck to clothing, thanks to static electricity

"I'm banned from the house. I have to take all my clothes off, virtually down to my underwear, walk into the house and put a new set of clothes on before my wife allows me inside."

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Despite the mess, he said it was worth the effort: "It's been an absolute pleasure and what is really, really lovely is to hear the children walking past, coming home from school.

"The excitement and laughter is just a wonderful feeling."

Planning is already under way for next year's display, when he hopes to add a sleigh and three reindeer.

He spent months working on the elaborate creation in his shed

Mr Rymill said he had already begun planning an expanded display for Christmas 2021