Santa gives childless village a miss (From Gazette & Herald)

Santa gives childless village a miss

SANTA Claus will not be visiting a North Yorkshire village this year - because for the first time in living memory there are no young children.

The youngest residents of Old Byland, near Helmsley, all turned 16 this year, and it seems unlikely that any young children will be born soon.

Sally Robinson, who runs the Internet lingerie company Ample Bosom, said there would be a different atmosphere in the village this Christmas.

She said: "Father Christmas isn't coming to this village this year for the first time ever. There are just no children.

"The last child left secondary school this summer. I'm probably one of the youngest in the village at 45.

"Young people can't move in because they can't afford the property, so it's like a ghetto."

The Rev Andrew Shanks, priest in charge of Upper Ryedale, said: "I think it's sad, but this is a tiny village.

"I look after five churches and this particular village has no children, but the others do."

Updated: 12:02 Wednesday, October 01, 2003