A mystery Santa demanded a toy ransom for an orphanage after pinching a builder's £3,000 digger.
Jaroslaw Kryzwonos was ordered to buy £200 of toys for the children's home in Lublin, Poland, in a phone call from a man identifying himself as Father Christmas.
After dropping off the sackloads of toys, the builder found his digger parked back where it had been stolen from.
A local police spokesman said: "This must be a very tough time for the economy if even Santa is trying his hand at kidnapping."
