Festival drama as horses bolt down Church Hill and carriage crashes

The festive spirit at last night’s Reepham Festival of Light was dampened when horses pulling a carriage carrying Santa were spooked and bolted down Church Hill.
 

 
The runaway carriage damaged a house, taking out an ancient wisteria and scattering several Rotary club members manning the road barriers, before crashing into the church wall near the junction with Ollands Road.
 
The occupants were thrown from the carriage, and the horses broke free and disappeared into the grounds of the Old Rectory. Fortunately, no-one was seriously injured in the incident.
 
Despite his tumble, Santa was able to carry on and delighted children in his shepherd’s hut grotto, with hundreds of people enjoying several hours of evening entertainment and stalls in the Market Place, as well as the traditional Christmas lights switch-on.
 

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