BRENTWOOD’S popular Santa Hunt is back! Search for Santa throughout Brentwood as he takes a break from his Christmas duties to play hide and seek.

The hunt, which is being run by the Chicken and Frog bookshop in partnership with Brentwood Borough Council, started at Lighting Up Brentwood and will run until Saturday, December 27.

Participants under the age of 14 must find the hidden Santas in 14 shops and businesses in Brentwood. Each Santa has a letter to collect and the letters spell a special Christmas phrase, which you need to guess correctly to be in with a chance to win a prize.

Entries must be made on the competition entry form which is available from Chicken and Frog bookshop, in Ongar Road, or are available to download from the Council website www.brentwood.gov.uk/events.

The completed forms must be posted in the special post box in the Chicken and Frog Bookshop by 5pm on 27 December.

There are some great prizes to win that have been kindly donated and include tickets for Danny the Champion of the World pantomime at Brentwood Theatre and an Old MacDonald’s Farm family pass.

The prizes will be presented by the Mayor of Brentwood, Councillor Vicky Davies on Saturday, January 3, at the bookshop.

Councillor Davies said: "Having grandchildren I know how excited they get at this time of year and the hunt is a bit of extra magic trying to find Santa. It’s also a way to keep the children busy while getting those last minute Christmas presents.”