Manchester City Council's new Santa Claus flops on a platform below the clock tower of the magnificent neo-gothic building, opened in 1874.

The grotesque Santa has obviously been designed in a computer 3D modelling program. It has the look of a giant alien teddy bear with its lifeless circular eyes. What appears to be the beard is one of the weakest features of the design as it appears more like a baby's napkin. This surreal object is just about as far removed as you could possibly get from the true spirit of Santa Claus and is symptomatic of current design trends.

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Keywords: Manchester town hall, Manchester city council, Santa Claus, Albert Square, Christmas Markets