It may sound like the plot from a Netflix Christmas movie, but one Norfolk town is at the centre of a feud between rival Santas.

Two Father Christmases in Attleborough have fallen out amid accusations that one of them has copied the other's outfit and that they are trying to close down one anothers' grottos.

There have even been barbs flying between the two about the state of their beards, and the town's Christmas Fair - held on Queen's Square - has been thrown into doubt by the row.

The festive feud started when one of them, Mitchell Scott, was asked to play the role of Santa at the fair, as he did last year.

Eastern Daily Press:

However, he was already booked to perform a similar duty at Attleborough's Pride Homecare store at the same time, so turned down the job.

In his absence, a second Santa, Jonathan Lewis, who works in the motorsport industry, stepped forward to take on the task.

Mr Lewis - who is in his first year as a Father Christmas - joined the official industry association, the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas (IBRBS) and prepared his own costume and sleigh for his appearance at the fair on Sunday, December 11.

Under the Brotherhood's rules, neighbouring Santas must inform one another of their appearances, to avoid more than one being seen in public at the same time.

So Mr Lewis told Mr Scott of his plans to attend the fair, at which point, things took a frosty turn.

Mr Scott accused Mr Lewis - whose daughter is organising the event - of using the same seamstress to make an identical suit and of only growing a small beard, rather than a long, bushy one.

"Last year I was Santa for Pride and the Christmas fair," Mr Scott said.

"But they got the hump, and the organiser's dad bought the exact same suit, had this massive sleigh made and grew a short beard.

"Then he told me when he was going to be in the town and that I shouldn't be here and told Pride not to hold a grotto."

Mr Lewis insists he never asked Pride not to run their event and that he has simply been following IBRBS rules.

"This is unbelievable. I told him five days that I would be in the town as a member of the Santa association, the same as he is, to avoid children seeing us," Mr Lewis said.

"All we were trying to do was something good for the town and help those in need."

Mr Lewis described the resulting argument as "shambolic" and said the uproar meant his daughter was now planning to cancel the fair.

He denied copying his rival's costume and defended his beard. 

"I haven't got the same outfit as him," he added. "I didn't know that was where he got his done. And all this stuff about me having a shorter beard than him, it's pathetic."

Mr Lewis said he thought there was "enough room in Attleborough for everyone" adding that there were "probably hundreds of Santas on Oxford Street".

"I never realised this was going to cause so much fuss," he said.