Santa's grottos will be allowed to open in all coronavirus tiers in England when national lockdown ends this week. Newly published guidance, to take effect from Thursday, says kids will be able to meet Father Christmas, even in Tier 3 - as long as the grotto is within a venue which is already permitted to open.
It means grottos will be allowed to open if they are in shops, garden centres and department stores in all tiers, because non-essential retail is permitted.
But it's unclear whether they will be allowed to open as part of a Christmas market. Indoor and outdoor markets are allowed to open as non-essential retail.