Children are flocking to this dad's Christmas winter wonderland in Walsall

Professional boxer Gary Groves has turned his home on Bagnall Street into a Winter Wonderland with over 4,600 lights and inflatable sleighs filling his front garden.

He offers parents the chance of taking their children to see Santa and getting into the Christmas mood, all for free. He is helped to spread the Christmas cheer by his son, Thomas, who is five.

They are also helped by Mr Groves' wife, Tracy, 39. Amongst the gifts children can get on their visit, every one gets a Christmas card and sweets.

Mr Groves, who is 47, said: "We have had hundreds of kids already. It's just about being nice. When we were kids we grew up with this magical world of Santa and a lot of people around aren't brought up like that now. If you can plant this seed now, they will become better people.

"There is that much hatred in the world and people charging extortionate prices to see Santa. Everyone can come here and they all get to see Santa and it's not going to cost them a penny."

Despite his generosity, Mr Groves declined to say how much the display costs him to put on every year.

He said: "It's my thing. It doesn't matter to anyone else. It's about kids coming here and it's free. I've done all the house up and my son comes out until about 7.30pm as a little elf."

The lights will be up at the house in Leamore until December 27 and are currently on daily from about 4.30pm until 10pm.

Parents and children from as far away as Kingstanding, Wolverhampton and Cannock have visited Walsall to see the display and Santa.

This year is the tenth Mr Groves has lit up his home with the elaborate display and the fourth which he has has donned his Santa costume.

Mr Groves said there is a steady stream of visitors in early to mid-December but that as Christmas Day draws closer, the numbers normally drop off.