Winter wonderland inside Bilston church

Complete with Santa's sleigh, snow-lined pathways, a log cabin with open fire and star-lit night sky – this looks like a scene straight out of Lapland.

But this Christmas scene has actually been set up inside a church in Bilston – having being created by volunteers using entirely donated or borrrowed materials.

Visitors are able to wander around the grotto, based at Bilston Pentecostal Church, to meet Santa and tell him their Christmas wish-list.

One of the volunteers at the grotto is Daniel Lee, 33, who said: "People have been really positive about the grotto and have given it 10 out of 10 saying it is better than those at a lot of shopping centres.

"It has been good fun putting it together and it has been running for five years, and each year it gets bigger. "A lot of schools come in throughout the day and nursery groups as well.

The grotto – which is also open during the evenings and on Saturdays – will continue until next Wednesday.

Mr Lee said the grotto also allowed young people to get a chance at volunteering. "It's a new way of reaching out into the community and sometimes people are a bit fearful of going into a church. It's also been a great way of training up our young people."

* Opening times for the grotto are 3.30pm to 7.30pm until December 21 and not open on Sundays. Price: Free to go around the grotto and £1 to visit Santa.