Reverend tells schoolchildren Santa is not real

Rev Margaret McPhee said the words accidentally came out her mouth. Credit: Reuters

A reverend has apologised after accidentally telling primary school children Santa Claus was not real during a Christmas choir concert.

Rev Margaret McPhee asked the youngsters from Stalham Academy in Norfolk what they thought Christmas was about on Monday evening.

When one child said "Father Christmas", she replied he was make believe.

Angry parents took to Facebook to express their disappointment.

One wrote: "Sorry my child will not attend any more church services again, she would not like it if we said there was no 'God'."

Another said: "Absolutely disgusted, luckily we managed to come up with a round-about explanation so Santa remains real."

The school issued a statement saying it had received an apology from Mrs McPhee for "what she claims was an 'insensitive, off-the-cuff remark', which may have caused upset to the pupils of our academy".

Mrs McPhee told the Eastern Daily Press she regretted the upset caused, adding: "As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I knew I had made a huge mistake."