Grottos to open across all tiers but sitting on Santa's lap banned under new Government guidance

Grottos will be allowed to open across all tiers, new government guidance confirms, but sitting on Santa’s lap will be banned.

Venues must put in place appropriate Covid-secure measures and families will be required to maintain social distancing from Father Christmas.

Door-to-door carol singing will also be permitted as long as groups are outdoors and keep apart from each other.

However, those in Tier 3 will not be able to attend school nativity plays and will have to live stream or watch a recording instead.

Performances will need to be within existing school bubbles, with no mixing across groups.

In Tier 1 and 2 audiences will be able to attend “subject to appropriate safeguards being in place”.

Writing in The Telegraph, Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg confirmed that church carol services would be able to take place.

He said: “As the government will ease some restrictions choirs and carol singers can perform and warm hearts again. They will be heard from churches, doorsteps and terraces across the land.

“There will be some differences of course. Choristers and revellers must be socially distanced, and singers should congregate in groups according to the local tier system.

“In churches and indoors, congregations may not join in with the choirs, to limit the circulation of aerosols.”

Last week the Government confirmed that up to three households will be allowed to meet from December 23 to December 27 under festive “bubbles”.

However, Sage, the Government's scientific advisory committee, has advised families to avoid playing board games over the Christmas period and avoid sleepovers.