A SICK Santa stayed in bed today while children braved the snow and cold north wind in a vain attempt to meet him.
When the youngsters arrived at his grotto in York's Stonegate, the door was closed and the magic was gone - because Santa was ill at home.
It was cold comfort for the Dodsworth family from Nunthorpe Grove, York, who had arrived early to beat the queues.
Robert, five, had come with a letter to Santa he had written himself and Amie, nearly two, was wearing her Santa red coat.
They had been prepared to wait for half an hour in the cold to see Father Christmas.
"You would have thought they would have had a stand-by Santa," said their mother Christine.
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