10:57am UK, Friday December 10, 2004

The world's biggest gathering of Santa Clauses has ended in a mass brawl.       

CS spray and batons had to be used to break up the fighting Santas.

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All I want for Xmas is . . . bail

Some 4,200 people dressed as Father Christmas gathered in a small Welsh town for a charity festive fun run.       

But it turned into festive fisticuffs after some of the Santas headed to the pub for a seasonal tipple.       

The goodwill evaporated, to be replaced with around 30 Santas swapping punches.       

Five St Nicks were nicked by police.      

A Dyfed Powys Police spokeswoman said: "A very successful Santa Run day was spoilt by the drunken behaviour of a number of local individuals who managed to consume too much alcohol and became involved in a serious public order incident. 

"Police officers had to intervene in an ongoing disturbance in Severn Street and more people then got involved. The police had to draw their batons and use CS gas to quell the disturbance." 

She added that four police officers had suffered minor injuries. 

"You could see that a lot of the older male Santas were heading for the pub straight after the race," eyewitness Emma Jones told The Times.       

"It is such a pity that a few of them had too much Christmas spirit and spoilt it for everyone else."       

The fun run set the record for the largest gathering of Santas in one place.       

The annual event, in Newtown, mid-Wales, raised more than £80,000 last year for charity.