Ancient Santa dating back to 1906 is older than 103-year-old Loughborough Christmas tree

Earlier this week the ancient Christmas tree belonging to Loughborough's Shirley Hall made headlines after it sold for more than £3,000 at auction.

The 84-year-old's tree had been in her life since she was a child back in 1920.It's prompted another octogenarian to talk about his oldest Christmas decoration.

Philip Harris, 82, who until recently lived in Aylestone, sent in a picture of his papier mache Santa decoration, which dates back to 1906 and could have been around even longer than that.Philip, who now lives in West Sussex, said in a letter: "Further to your interesting story of a 106 years old Christmas Tree, I thought you might be in interested in my Father Christmas.

"He stands 75cms high and is made of moulded papier mache."He has a provenance going back until at least 1906 and has been in use every year since.

"I am 82 and remember him since my earliest Christmases in the family home in Park Hill Avenue, Aylestone."The decoration is from the very beginning of the 20th century - about 120 years ago. That's based on a message written on Santa's back.Philip explained: "On the back in my stepmother’s hand is written ‘Dear Old Father Christmas. Already over 40 years old'."She dated her note as 1946. My stepmother was my deceased mother’s sister so this decoration has been in the same family all the time."He is a well travelled Father Christmas. The family lived in Antigua and Dominica from the late 1880s until 1920 when he travelled with family to live in Leicester.

"He stayed in the county until 2012 when he moved with me to the coast in West Sussex."