SANTA will have a new purpose-built home when he arrives for his festive duties at Clacton Pier this weekend.

A massive grotto has been commissioned and put together outside the Discovery Bay soft play area at a cost of more than £15,000.

It will be in operation for the attraction’s Christmas activities which run through until December 23.

The fun gets underway on Saturday and Sunday with Breakfast with Santa and then continues on Monday when the after school events begin.

Nigel Brown, Clacton Pier’s communications manager, said the idea is to make Santa welcome and as comfortable as possible.

“We decided that it if we are going to offer these Christmas activities again for the first time for more than five years, we needed to have a grotto which matches the standards of our other facilities,” he added.

“People travelling along the seafront from the Holland-on-Sea direction towards Clacton can get a glimpse of the grotto on the eastern side of the Pier.”

Breakfast with Santa runs from 9am to 10.30am each Saturday and Sunday up to Christmas and there are after school weekday events from 3.30pm to 6.30pm.

For details, go to clactonpier.co.uk.