Birmingham City Council has hit back at claims that Santa has been axed due to council cuts.
According to the Birmingham Mail, ‘savage funding cuts’ have led Father Christmas to loss his grotto in the city, leaving parents angered and children without their Christmas treat.
However, he council claims the cuts story is ‘misleading’ as Santa is usually provided by Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG).
A statement issued by the council said: ‘Council cuts have not axed Santa’s grotto. This is the result of a decision made by Birmingham Museums Trust.
‘The council has a range of Christmas activities that it is offering and supporting this year including a Christmas Parade, the largest German Market outside of Germany and Austria, and the successful return of an outdoor ice rink to the city centre.’
It is not the first time the council has unfairly come under fire from the media over its Christmas celebrations. In 1998, Birmingham was accused of rebranding Christmas as ‘winterval’ in an attempt to be politically correct.
The story was a myth – Winterval refered to a collection of events over the season, rather than just Christmas – but continued to be repeated. More than a decade later, in 2011, the Daily Mail issued a correction on the issue.
