SANTA'S gone on a diet after getting too big to climb down the chimney on his most important night of the year.

But children across East Lancashire needn't worry - he'll still be able to tuck into the odd mince pie on Christmas Eve.

Stand-in Santa Deyna Magire is helping Blackburn Lions tour the town in a festive sleigh collecting money for charity while the real Father Christmas is busy wrapping presents.

The 27-year-old from Blackburn has been given his own Weight Watchers diet, in which each item of food is given a points value, after tipping the scales at 16.5st.

His new eating regime includes a full Christmas dinner, with pudding, but cuts out fat and leaves him with enough "points" left over for the odd treat - like a mince pie.

Deyna relealised it was time to lose weight when it came to putting on the suit he and it was a bit too tight.

He said: "I know Santa is supposed to be a big bloke but the costume just wouldn't meet. It's important it looks right so I will need some help to lose a few pounds so I will be comfortable on the sleigh."

And the diet organiser who is helping him is confident he'll be much trimmer by this time next year if he sticks to the programme.

Ann Howarth, a Weight Watchers leader from the Blackburn area, set Santa a daily points total of 32 and said: "We have got a brilliant new programme that would suit Father Christmas. He will be given a number of points to measure how much he eats in a day.

"He can spend his points on any type of food or drink he wants. So if he wants to he can have lots of the mince pies and sherry that children leave out for him as long as he counts the points. He will also be able to enjoy a Christmas dinner after all his hard work."