Scrooge-like thief nabs Santa's suit (From Oxford Mail)

Scrooge-like thief nabs Santa's suit

A MAGICAL mystery is baffling staff at Oxford’s Story Museum.

Jenny Thorp

Workers at the building in Pembroke Street, which aims to open in 2014, displayed a Father Christmas suit in a phone booth outside as a publicity stunt.

The booth was padlocked shut and labelled “Laundry for Mr S Claus. To be collected on Christmas Eve” – only for someone to display a distinct lack of Christmas spirit and swipe the outfit, leaving only the hat and boots.

Story Museum spokesman Cath Nightingale said: “We don’t know where the suit has gone. It’s a bit of a mystery.

“We wanted a Christmas display outside for children to enjoy, so the costume went up on December 1.

“But when we got to work last Monday, it had gone. I was gutted as it took me ages to set up.”

Staff believe the red and white outfit went missing over the weekend, but still don’t know how someone could have got the costume out.

Ms Nightingale said: “There was a crack in the door of maybe a couple of centimetres.

“So maybe someone managed to insert a coat hanger or something.”

Admin assistant Jenny Thorp, above, said: “We wanted to create something nice to intrigue people walking past.

“But it’s turned into a bit of a disaster really. Whoever it was, they had to be very determined as there’s only an inch gap.

“It’s not a particularly festive thing to do.”