Santa has come to town as he’s been hitting the road with one of Alton’s most generous groups to spread some festive cheer.

Saint Nick has been doing the rounds with the Alton Lions Club as the altruistic group have given him some wheels for a 14-day tour of the town.

His warm-up tour began on Wednesday (December 4) on Greenfields with Old Odiham Road, Aldersey Fields and Southview Rise among the early stops.

But residents who greeted Santa on his warm-up tour may have noticed something different about his choice of transportation.

Red may be his colour, but he’s also gone green as his gas-guzzling Land Rover has been replaced with an eco pedal-powered sleigh with Rudolph leading the way.

The Lions have joined forces with local volunteers for the annual fundraising project, which has raised more than £28,000 for good causes over the last three years.

So residents have been encouraged to give generously when Santa is doing the rounds as donations will give a festive boost to plenty of local charities.

“Project Santa takes a tree-mendous amount of planning and hard work, so look out for the sleigh in the evenings,” said a spokesperson for the Lions.

“Santa will have his backup crew of elf and safety officers, snowmen and volunteers form the community, and they will all be going door to door to collect for many local good causes – every penny helps.”

Residents can track Santa’s progress through https://www.altonsanta.org.uk/track/