Children will be able to meet Father Christmas in Bury St Edmunds when his festive grotto arrives in town in December.

Santa and his elves will be based at Charter Square in the Arc shopping centre, where a carousel and dodgem cars will be available to entertain Christmas shoppers.

Because it is Father Christmas’s busiest time of year, admission to his grotto, which opens on Saturday December 2, will be by ticket only.

Bookings can be made in advance, although a number of limited places will be available to buy on the day.

Tickets can be booked now by clicking here. The dodgems and carousel will be pay on arrival.

Colin Roberts, centre manager at the Arc, said: “We are delighted to once again be helping with a fantastic Christmas attraction for Bury St Edmunds and we anticipate the grotto and the rides being very popular.

“We’ve been working closely with providers Great Grottos and Target Animations to ensure top quality entertainment.”

The Christmas grotto will be open between 11am-5pm every day from December 2 until Christmas Eve.

The dodgems will open at 6pm on Thursday, November 30 and will be open until 7.30pm on a Thursday and between 10am-5pm the rest of the week.

The carousel and dodgems will also be available for private hire on a Monday or Friday evening between 5pm and 8pm.

Private hire bookings must be made through the Our Bury St Edmunds office on 01284 766258.