CHRISTMAS has been saved at a festive-filled pub, after a stolen life-sized Santa was returned. 

The Half Moon, in Rayleigh, is known for going big at Christmas - with the pub’s ceiling covered with baubles and a seven-foot Father Christmas going on display. 

However the festive feeling froze over at the weekend, when the Santa figure was stolen. 

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The pub staff didn’t notice Saint Nick had been taken at the time as it was a busy Saturday night. 

But the following morning staff realised that Santa had gone and when the CCTV was checked, he could be seen taken out of the pub by “a man with some assistance” from his friends.

Manager Sarah Wiseman said staff had been heartbroken when they learnt of the theft.

She said: “I was gutted when I realised.

“We always put a lot of effort into decorating for everything, and all the things we use are mine that I have collected through the years.

“I have had Santa for seven years and he is very much loved by everyone.”

This year The Half Moon has even covered the whole ceiling in baubles, which they say could be the “largest personal collection of baubles in the world”.

After noticing Santa had gone missing, the popular pub put out an appeal on Facebook as well as contacting some of the guests who had booked the pub on Saturday night.

This included Mark Smith, who was celebrating his birthday with his friends at The Half Moon.

Sarah added: “We quickly put the appeal on Facebook and that spread the word very quickly.

“There was also a birthday party on Saturday night when Santa went missing, so I spoke to the birthday guy, Mark Smith.

“He spoke to several of his friends, who were at the party and had seen the person leave with Santa.

“To my surprise, Mark located Santa, collected him, and fetched him back to us.

“Thankfully, Santa was unharmed.

“We are just so happy to get him back that we didn’t ask any more questions.

“We just said a massive thank you.

“Christmas has been saved by Mark.”