IT’S the last thing Santa needs two days before Christmas – police being called to investigate a row with unhappy elves.

Officers were called to York’s Winter Wonderland in Exhibition Square, as tempers flared between managers and staff.

Two workers say they have only been paid a fraction of their wages after working there for weeks, and police were called to the grotto this week as angry staff demanded payment.

But manager Penelope Ward said all employees worked on contracts which stipulated how and when they would be paid, and said the Wonderland had done nothing wrong.

One of the unhappy elves was Jazzmine Ullah, 18, from Hull, who had worked there for almost four weeks. She said: “I had always been promised I would be paid at the end of the week, but we never got paid at all. They owe me about £1,000 in wages. They are still using my photograph for advertising too.”

Miss Ullah was issued a cheque by Miss Ward, but this was stopped before it was cleared by her bank.

Miss Ward said: “Jazzmine came to us through an agency, but invoiced us herself. The cheque was stopped because she should have invoiced us through the agency.”

Another member of staff, former elf Donna Parks, said she was paid £300 on Tuesday out of more than £1,000 she said was owed to her, as an advance ahead of the remainder of her wages.

She said: “She offered me £200, but gave me £300 in the end.”

Miss Ward said: “As far as I’m concerned, Donna was always informed she would be paid by cheque or BACS, to be paid monthly, and has received her November pay. But as she is self-employed she needs to file a proper invoice which needs to be checked by our accountant and will be paid fully after that.”

Miss Ward said she had called police during a confrontation over the issue.

North Yorkshire Police confirmed they were called to the site on Tuesday at about 2.30pm over a “pay dispute” but said the disagreement was a civil matter.

The grotto hit headlines earlier this month when thousands of disappointed parents complained that tickets issued by the discount website Groupon, incorrectly claimed the grotto had a train ride. The website later apologised after staff at the attraction were verbally abused by some parents.