Santa is returning for another year and a growing town has made his route longer.

A group looking to raise money for various charities will be returning to Dereham with Father Christmas and his sleigh, a tradition it has upheld for more than 50 years. 

Volunteers for Dereham Round Table, a social group for men between 18 and 45 years, will be travelling with Santa and his sleigh around Dereham and surrounding areas, collecting money for different charities. 

Santa and his sleigh will be returning for another yearSanta and his sleigh will be returning for another year (Image: Richard Dunsire)Although there are no new routes this year, the group has had to adapt to an increase in homes in the town, which has had an impact on Santa's usual route.

Richard Dunsire, chairman of Dereham Round Table, said: "We have had to focus our attention on growing areas with new estates being built all the time, which has expanded our routes.

"Longer routes then need to be done on a weekend as we have a time limit within the licence we are afforded and children need to go to bed."

The extension in some routes has also meant that ones with less attendance are being reconsidered.

Mr Dunsire said: "We have had to relook at our routes as Dereham continues to grow, having to take a break from some of the less well-attended routes, however we will of course review this annually."

The group will be making their way through a number of areas including Watton, Swanton Morley and YaxhamThe group will be making their way through a number of areas including Watton, Swanton Morley and Shipdham (Image: Richard Dunsire)

Nonetheless, the group is still "incredibly excited" to bring Santa's cheer to families.

Mr Dunsire said: "A trip to see Santa can be expensive and a luxury for some families so we love that we can bring Santa to children while also taking that pressure away from the parents.

"Our volunteers love seeing all the kids' faces light up, we now know why Santa does it.

"Thank you to one of our key sponsors, Richardsons Truck Services, who alongside their able elves are doing a wonderful job getting the sleigh ready to roll.

"Thank you, as ever, to the Dereham community for their support."

Dereham Round Table will be visiting areas in and around Dereham on certain dates between December 1 and December 17.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/derehamroundtable/ for more information.