FATHER Christmas is possibly the most generous man on the planet, handing out millions of presents each year — and now a huge collection of Santa models and figurines is helping raise money to benefit the Chagford community.

Mary French has a vast collection of Father Christmas figures, thought to be the biggest collection in Britain with hundreds of models. Each year Mary and her husband Graham surround themselves with the figures, adding to the collection each year.

Mary said: ‘I’ve been collecting them since I was 15 — my grandma gave me one and I’ve been collecting them ever since. I have figures from all the world; America, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Italy. I can’t remember all the other places!

‘I have a Victorian one, one from the Jim Shore collection which is quite valuable and some other unusual ones.

‘I have been told before that I have the biggest collection in Britain and I assume that is true. Some of them have real sentimental value — not all of them, some of them are just your junky sorts but some are more valuable and mean a lot more to me.’

The couple run The Globe Inn in Chagford and each year they fill the pub’s three bars with the Santa figures and numerous other Christmas decorations. They then invite drinkers to guess how many Santas are on show — for a pound a guess — to raise money for charity.

Over the last few years they have raised around £1,500 for a number of different causes. The money raised this year will go towards the restoration of the bell at St Michael’s Church across the road from the pub.

The bells of the church have a rich history, dating back as far as the late 15th century when the present church tower was built. Since then the bells have undergone several restoration projects.