SANTA is urging the people of North Yorkshire to save Christmas, after his sleigh was wrecked in a freak accident.

Thousands of children could miss out on Christmas morning, unless replacement animals can be found to tow the vehicle, after two long-serving horses literally lost their heads.

Disaster struck when Santa got caught up in a road accident in Selby District, on Friday night.

Fallen electricity cables hit his car, causing sparks to fly, and decapitating two polystyrene and fibreglass horses on the top of the sleigh.

The former carousel horses have been an integral part of the Elmet Lions sleigh for 12 years, but Santa is now urgently seeking replacements.

The accident occurred as Elmet Lions set off on the first of 22 nights around the district in the run up to December 25.

Paul Smith, 62, was towing the trailer sleigh towards Ulleskelf with Santa, aka Jeff Jackson, when a car ahead of him hit an electricity pole.

That car then rolled, coming to a rest in Scarthingwell Golf Course. The 25-year-old female driver was unhurt.

But in pitch darkness, Mr Smith then drove into the low-hanging cables, decapitating the horses.

Mr Smith said he saw cars with their hazard lights on at the side of the road, and slowed down.

He and Mr Jackson looked for something in the road, but with the electricity down as a result of the initial accident, they could not see the cables.

He said: "We saw flashing, and heard this clattering sound going straight across the car.

"I looked in the mirror and the horses' heads just disappeared over the back of the sleigh.

"Santa then got on his belly and crawled under the cables to retrieve the heads, then went to see if there was anything he could do to help. There was nothing."

He added: "The carousel horses are wrecked - it just looks like they have been melted through.

"The horses have been there since we built the sleigh 12 years ago, and kids have grown up with it. People come out to see it because it's so unusual.

"We put the horses on because we could not get reindeer.

"The perfect choice would be reindeer, but we would take whatever we could get to cover for them."

Anyone who can help Elmet Lions should phone The Press on 01904 567133.