Hundreds of families and shoppers got into the festive spirit at Eastgate shopping centre’s Winter Wonderland-themed Christmas launch.

There were lots of fantastic acts all over the shopping centre including a snow lion, a pair of inflatable snowmen, a snow queen and ice maiden on stilts and ice princesses.

Brother and sister Hayden, six, and Eryn Fortt, eight, won a Facebook competition run by the Eastgate to be the first youngsters into Santa’s grotto at the Christmas launch event.

The grotto was officially opened by Santa and councillor David Harrison, Basildon’s mayor, to the festive tunes of Sutherland Pipes and Drums.

Creature Encounter’s stunning snow lion and the red queen stole the show with their puppetry and a real life festive fairy sat on the Christmas tree performing aerial acrobatics.

Eastgate centre manager Ian Clark said: “Everyone really got into the festive spirit on Saturday. The acts were really popular and the grotto was really busy all afternoon with hundreds of excited youngsters.”