Bridlington Santa's Sleigh organisers 'sworn at' over 2020 plans

The Santa's Sleigh event features lights and music, with volunteers usually distributing sweets to children while collecting donations

The organisers of an annual festive event around the streets of Bridlington have hit out at "keyboard warriors" verbally abusing the charity online.

Bridlington Roundtable said it was sworn at and was sent negative messages after it announced changes to Santa's Sleigh 2020 due to Covid-19.

The group said a "minority" complained about sweets no longer being handed out to children as the sleigh passed by.

The roundtable said it had put "a bit of a dampener on the Christmas spirit".

The event, which started in 1985, features a sleigh built on a caravan chassis being towed around the streets of the coastal town over eight nights in December.

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Organisers said the charity event, which has raised more than £50,000 in the last decade, has been adapted for 2020 to make it safe.

Sam Berridge, from the roundtable, said: "We've had a lot of people moaning about the sweets, saying it's disgusting that we're taking their money but we're not giving the kids sweets.

"We've had quite a few people swearing at us. I won't repeat what they said but they've been quite aggressive towards the roundtable."

All 2020 cash donations are being left in buckets for 72 hours before being disinfected, with people encouraged to donate online instead

Mr Berridge said the roundtable will instead be giving the sweets to local schools to safely distribute.

The event made national newspaper headlines in 2017 when the sleigh was "firebombed", struck with stones and money buckets were stolen, the roundtable said.

Organisers have asked residents to stand on their doorsteps or in their gardens for the 2020 event and not to congregate on the street.

Mr Berridge continued: "We're volunteers and there's a lot of time that goes into organising this. We don't really appreciate the comments that some people are making.

"It does get to us quite a bit. It puts a bit of a dampener on the Christmas spirit."