It’s still more than 100 shopping days until Christmas but that didn’t seem to bother children in Shipley when Santa came to town.

Bemused shoppers looked on as a bizarre Christmas procession of elves, reindeer and snowmen joined the Spectacular Christmas Parade in Market Square yesterday.

Under blue skies and bathed in warm sunshine, volunteers for Shipley-based Q20 Theatre put on a show more than three months before Christmas Day.

There were stilt walkers dressed as silver Christmas trees, an angel, pantomime characters Prince Charming and Cinderella and even the odd penguin.

Santa, who arrived in a 16ft sleigh led by Rudolph and two other reindeers, then treated the crowds to renditions of their favourite Christmas songs.

“I would love it if it was Christmas but its still summer” said Danny Thomson, of Wrose Brow Road, Windhill, Shipley. “It’s rather bizarre to tell the truth.”

Pauline Barnes, of Eccleshill, Bradford, said: “I only popped into Superdrug for a lipstick and when I came out I thought I’d walked into another world!”

But the parade’s timing didn’t seem to bother the children, who cheered Father Christmas as he wished everyone Happy Christmas.

Sarah Moody, of Clifton Place, Shipley, brought her triplets Adam, Alex and Brooke, five, and niece Niamh, seven. “They are really excited about seeing Santa and are all loving it,” she said. Dressed as a Toy Soldier, Q20 Theatre’s John Lambert told the children Santa had lost his sleigh and feared Christmas could be cancelled this year.

Luckily, the sleigh had been found in Shipley and Santa had made the trip from the North Pole to collect it.

They were also there to make a special announcement – the birth of Rudolph’s baby reindeer, he told the cheering crowd.

Mr Lambert told the Telegraph & Argus: “Its never too early to have some fun!”

Yvonne Crossley, Shipley town centre manager, said: “I think it is absolutely brilliant.

“It is an attraction which is a little bit quirky but it is really great.”