Meet the man who sacked Father Christmas

Meet Steve Chapman - the Shropshire man who sacked Santa Claus. Mr Chapman, from Whitchurch, was seen on Coronation Street giving Father Christmas - Ken Barlow - his marching orders during an episode screened earlier this month.

But Mr Chapman, 49, who has been working as a television and theatre actor for a number of years, insists he is no grinch.

"Even though I fired Santa, I actually love Christmas and have been out and about in north Shropshire Chris-tmas markets selling mulled wine and spiced Welsh cakes. It's definitely one of my favourite times of year," said Mr Chapman, who is also an organiser of Whitchurch's Blackberry Fair.

The married father-of-three appeared in the long-running ITV1 soap opera on December 7 playing the role of a disgruntled shop manager who turfed Father Christmas out of his shop for rowing with customers. In the scene, Ken Barlow is dressed as Santa when his grandson Simon comes into the grotto with his other grandfather George.

When the two grandfathers start bickering, Santa is unmasked as Ken.

Mr Chapman is no stranger to Coronation Street appearances. He was murderer Richard Hillman's on-screen best man and also "defended" Tracy Barlow as her solicitor.