Entries open for Gazette's annual Dear Santa competition

The Gazette’s ever-popular Dear Santa competition is now officially open.

So we’re calling on our young readers across South Tyneside to write to us and tell us why they deserve an extra special gift from Santa.

Prizes are available, and seeing as it’s the festive season, we’ll allow younger children to get their parents, grandparents, older siblings or whoever is looking after them to give them a helping hand.

All you need to do is start the letter with “I deserve a special gift from Santa because...” and send it via email to [email protected], or fill in and post the coupon attached.

Make sure you include a picture of the child who is entering, as well as their name, age, address and telephone details for the person entering on their behalf.

We’ll pass the letters onto Santa himself, who’ll choose who he believes deserves a special extra present under their Christmas tree.

Rather than just writing a list, please make sure you tell us why you deserve to win the prize, which will be revealed soon.

Five-year-old Lucy Panton was last year’s winner, claiming a scooter worth £70 after she told us how she sorts through her toys each year in the run-up to Christmas with her mum Lindsey Panton, before they were then given to charity shops.

You can post the coupon to Dear Santa, Shields Gazette, Alexander House, 1 Mandarin Road, Rainton Bridge Business Park, Houghton, Sunderland, DH4 5RA.

We look forward to hearing from you – but don’t delay, entries close on Friday, December 9!