FATHER Christmas will be visiting the streets of the Okehampton area this Christmas, with some help from his friends at Okehampton Round Table.

Father Christmas will be aboard a shiny refurbished sleigh, following hard fundraising work of the Round Table over the summer to help him afford a new one.

Members of the Round Table will help Santa make house-to-house food collections for Okehampton Foodbank, and raise money for other local charities and organisations.

Santa's first three visits to Okehampton this year will be to the Mole Avon store on Saturday December 3, Red Lion Yard on Edwardian Evening on Thursday December 8, and outside Okehampton Co-op on December 10.

House to house collections will start at Hatherleigh on Saturday December 10, before his sleigh heads to North Tawton on December 11.

Father Christmas will be collecting food and funds for nine nights in Okehampton, from December 13 and 17, and again from December 20 to December 23. He will also visit Sticklepath and South Zeal on Sunday December 18.

Okehampton Round Table expressed thanks to all the local businesses who supported the refurbishment of the sleigh, including Travis Perkins, Mole Avon, Dave Chapman Carpets, BVS and Homeleigh Garden Centre.