The city had a 24-hour period this week when no burglaries were reported, said the police.

A force spokesman said the 24-hour burglary-free period, between 6am on Thursday and 6am yesterday, was the seventh it had recorded so far this year.

Detective Superintendent Andy Lee, who is in charge of criminal investigations in the city area, said: "This is absolutely fantastic news, both for the police service and the communities we serve.

"This has not happened by chance. This excellent result is due to a great deal of hard work and dedicated team work among city officers."

He said officers had identified "the individuals who cause the greatest threat, and successfully targeted them, thereby driving down levels of crime".

The city area, which comprises six police stations – Beaumont Leys, Keyham Lane, Spinney Hill Park, Mansfield House, Welford Road and Hinckley Road – has a target to reduce house burglaries by 8 per cent this year.

Det Supt Lee said the reduction was, in fact, 8.6 per cent, achieved through initiatives including Operation Dynamo, a force-wide burglary reduction campaign, and uniform and plain clothes patrols "to exploit every opportunity to deter burglars".

In the year to date, a total of 1,259 house burglaries have been recorded. In the year 2011/12 the figure was 1,378, and in the year before that, the figure was 1,547.

The other 24-hour periods came on April 27, May 20, June 11 and 22 and August 13 and 15.

Eighteen drivers have been arrested for being over the alcohol limit in the first week of a month-long Christmas drink-drive crackdown.

They were arrested by officers as part of the Over the Limit campaign, launched on December 1.

A three-day operation was also held this week targeting lorry drivers on the M1 in Leicestershire and A1 in Rutland. None of the 90 people stopped for offences were found to be over the drink-drive limit.

Graham Compton, senior road traffic management officer for Leicestershire Police, said the results of the lorry driver operation were encouraging on the drink-drive front.

He said: "We stopped 90 drivers for a number of offences, including not wearing seatbelts, using hand-held mobile phones and tachograph infringements.

"Each one of them was breath- tested and I am pleased to say they were all negative."

He said 52 were given fixed £60 penalties with three points on their licences for not wearing seatbelts.

Twenty-one were given similar penalties for using hand-held mobile phones, six for not being in proper control of their vehicles and 11 for tachograph offences.

However, Mr Compton said despite the tests on the lorry drivers proving negative, some people were not heeding the warnings and were still taking risks.

He said: "If you find you've had a drink, get a taxi or a lift home from a friend who has not consumed alcohol.

"Don't drink and drive. Alcohol seriously impairs your reaction speed."

A police spokesman said that among the drivers arrested this week was a driver who was found asleep in his vehicle as it teetered over the edge of a canal. The vehicle was pulled to safety and the driver was detained after he provided a positive sample of breath.

Officers also tested a driver who they traced after he had left the scene of an accident on the A5 in Hinckley. His reading was positive and he was arrested.

The penalties for drinking and driving are a minimum 12-month disqualification – which rises to three years for a second offence within 10 years – a fine of up to £5,000 and up to six months in prison.

Police said this week's figure of 18 compared with 21 in the same period last year.

During last December's operation, police caught 119 over-the-limit drivers – a slight improvement on the 2010 total of 127 and 2009's 122.

Young hospital patients got to meet their rugby heroes yesterday when Leicester Tigers players visited the wards to spread some festive cheer.

A selection of the Tigers' squad toured Leicester Children's Hospital at the infirmary and the children's cardiac wards at Glenfield Hospital to hand out gifts, sign autographs and pose for photographs.

Club captain Geordan Murphy said the players enjoyed the opportunity to meet the youngsters.

He visited Leicester Children's Hospital, based at the infirmary, with England forward Geoff Parling and front rower Boris Stankovich.

Patient Marianna Capenhurst, 15, from Knighton, had her picture taken with the players.

She said: "I came in for treatment and no-one told me the Tigers would be visiting. It's something I didn't expect!

"It was great to meet them and they gave me a Tigers pen."

Club supporter Anna Price, from Quorn, was delighted that her three-year-old daughter, Eloise, had a chance meet the players.

"Our company sponsors the Tigers and Eloise has been raised in a household that loves rugby and she loves to shout at the telly," said Mrs Price.

"It was lovely to see her with the players."

Lauren Davies, nine, from Loughborough also met the players and was given a selection of gifts.

Her dad, Terry, said: "It's great that the players can take time off like this and spend time with the children in the wards."

Geordan Murphy said: "Christmas is a very special time for everyone, especially for young children and their families.

"Many of the Tigers players have young families of their own and we all appreciate how difficult it can be if children have to spend any time in hospital at this time of year.

"We hope that we can help bring some festive cheer and a few smiles for the children who are facing Christmas in our local hospitals."

Geoff Parling, who played in England's historic win over the New Zealand All Blacks last weekend, said: "It's something we like to do – to meet the children and give away a few little gifts gives us a lift and I hope it does the same for the children and their families."

Boris also said he enjoyed meeting the youngsters and signing autographs.

Sally Markley, play co-ordinator at Leicester Children's Hospital, said: "We're delighted that Leicester Tigers took time out of their busy schedule to spend time with the children so close to Christmas. It's a really special time for the children when they meet the players bringing plenty of smiles to the wards."

Another group of players toured the children's cardiac wards at Glenfield.

Leicester City can smell blood whenever a struggling side comes to the King Power Stadium, says defender Zak Whitbread.

City have dispatched Ipswich Town and Derby County in emphatic fashion in their last two home fixtures, and now face a Barnsley side without a win in nine games tomorrow.

Whitbread, who scored his first City goal in last week's 4-1 battering of the Rams, said City must be looking to feed off sides low on confidence and show no mercy.

"Every game we smell a bit of blood," he said.

"I think sometimes, if teams are struggling at the bottom end of the table, and I have been down there myself with teams, it is human nature that, after an early goal or a dodgy start, you are put on the back foot. We have to capitalise on that.

"Even against the bigger teams, we have to go out there first and stamp our authority on them and take it to them.

"An early goal doesn't always happen so we have to be patient and keep working hard.

"The last two home games have set a precedent. That is how we should be at the King Power.

"Teams should be afraid to come here because we play with quality and pace.

"I am sure it has been exciting for the fans in the last couple of games and we will look to kick on again today.

"It does feel good. It is great to get any win but when you have won 6-0 there is an added feeling when you are made up. You have to be relentless.

"After the first, second and third goal you are still going and you want to make them hurt. You have to be ruthless. Having said that, if we get a horrible 1-0 win today then we will take that."

Whitbread's header last week was City's first goal from a corner since the start of the season.

The 28-year-old is hoping that now the dam has broken it will lead to a flood of set-piece goals.

"I was made up with the goal," said Whitbread.

"We have had so many corners in the previous games so it was nice to finally get on the end of one.

"I think everyone was waiting for someone to get on the end of one and score so it was nice for me to get a goal, and it was an important one as well."

Leicester City cannot afford to let their confidence on home soil to turn into complacency, manager Nigel Pearson has warned.

City have put Ipswich Town and Derby County to the sword in emphatic fashion in their last two outings at the King Power Stadium.

They will be expected to easily dispatch a Barnsley side that has not tasted victory in their last nine games and has only one win from the last 13.

However, Pearson has urged his side not to lose focus when they face Keith Hill's side, and pointed to their shock 5-0 victory at Birmingham City to demonstrate what they are capable of.

"We have performed pretty well and the players are playing with confidence," said Pearson.

"It is important confidence doesn't become complacency but, generally speaking, we have performed well and made it a difficult place for teams to come to.

"Along the way, even though you look at the results, we have had some difficult games at home and had to work hard to win.

"It is easy to look at stats and say we have done well. Cardiff have a superior home record to us, but, for the most part, our performances and results have been good.

"But we have to work hard to maintain that. Today is no different and this will be another tough game for us.

"That is something you have to remember about this division, that you can't ever go into this game thinking it is a forgone conclusion. You have to work very hard.

"They will come here trying to upset us and our home form, and we have to make sure we do everything we can to make sure that doesn't happen.

"We have to give them the respect they deserve but we have also got to maintain the standards we have set. We have to play with the right tempo."

Pearson is backing Hill to turn around Barnsley's fortunes and get them climbing the Championship table again.

"Keith is a fighter, absolutely, I have a lot of respect for him," he said. "I think they are a better side than their league position suggests at the moment.

"We have to be aware of what they are about but, ultimately, it is about what we do ourselves. We have to make sure our performance levels are correct."

Pearson will check on the fitness of top-scorer David Nugent, who is still troubled by a neck injury, before deciding on his starting line-up.

A gold coin bearing Richard III's personal emblem has sold for three times the expected amount after going under the hammer in London.

The artefact, depicting a boar's head, which was discovered in Claybrooke Magna, about 12 miles from Bosworth Battlefield in August, was expected to fetch £12,000.

However, a private collector has bought the item for triple the pre-sale estimate – paying £36,000 for the 500-year-old coin.

Richard MacKinder, heritage officer at Bosworth Battlefield, said: "It's a really interesting find and we would welcome an item like that to our museum – so if the buyer wants to donate it, we'd be more than happy to take it."

Despite the huge interest in the coin, the discovery cannot be classed as a genuine battlefield find.

Richard said: "Technically, it was discovered about 10 to 12 miles away, so it wasn't lost by someone coming into or out of the Bosworth site.

"We know Richard would have travelled down from the north and been carried off toward Leicester following his defeat – which is to the east. So it's unlikely to have been his.

"But all of this interest keeps the pot boiling and that's great for us and for Leicester, but we have to be realistic and accurate."

The coin was sold at Spink auctioneers, in London, on Wednesday.

William MacKay, coin specialist at the auction house, said: "There was fierce competition in the sale room for this exceptional example of a historically-important coin from an interesting location. This is a fantastic result, which shows the demand continues to be strong for top quality, rare English gold coins."

It is among a variety of items discovered near the battleground in Bosworth, which include badges, sword mounts and cannonballs.

However, experts have said this find is unusual as it has remained in almost pristine condition.

The coin – known as an angel because it also depicts St Michael spearing a dragon – dates from about 1484, a year before Richard III was killed at Bosworth Battlefield.

The find has aroused interest after the discovery of human remains, thought to be those of Richard III, at a city car park in August.

Scientists from the University of Leicester are carrying out a series of tests to identify the body.

Results from DNA tests, facial reconstruction, battle wound analysis and a variety of other checks will all contribute to the confirmation of whether or not it is Richard.

The results are expected early next year

Nearly £400,000 has been paid to Leicestershire Police to cover the costs of its contribution to this summer's Olympics.

Chief Constable Simon Cole has revealed his force has received £374,000 from the Home Office from money set aside for forces who helped the Metropolitan Police and the armed services with the huge security operation surrounding the London games in July and August.

Leicestershire officers were among those from forces nationwide sent to the capital to carry out policing duties.

More than 300 officers from the county were assigned to duties ranging from crowd control to counter-terrorism roles.

Mr Cole told a meeting of the police and crime commissioners executive board: "The Home Office have given us some extra money.

"You won't hear me say that very often.

"We have got £374,000 back following the Olympic policing operation."

Mr Cole said the money related to the costs of paying for his officers working in the capital and the expenses and security surrounding the Olympic Torch relay when it passed through the county, as well as a rehearsal event.

There were also further costs associated with policing at Loughborough University, which was used by both Team GB and the some Japanese athletes as a pre-games training camp.

Mr Cole said: "The Olympics involved a very big security operation and we played a significant part in that.

"We always anticipated that we could get it (the costs) back, but it is good to have the money."

Mr Cole said he thought £374,000 was a fair amount, given the costs his force had incurred.

He said the money would go back into the £168 million budget.

Police and crime commissioner Sir Clive Loader said: "Our input to the Olympics was considerable. On some days we had 200 officers in London – 10 per cent of the total."

Before the games there had been concerns about security, with private sector firm G4S failing to provide enough civilian staff for sporting venues. More police, soldiers, sailors and airmen were drafted in at short notice to cover.

Ivan Stafford, chairman of the Leicestershire Police Federation, said: "It was a huge operation – particularly after the failings of G4S.

"There was some disruption to the lives of officers because of the cancellation of leave, but those who went to London enjoyed it very much and acted professionally, as we would expect. Some people have suggested parts of the Olympics were over-policed, but I couldn't disagree more.

"I can't comment on whether the figure is a fair one but if the chief says it is then I'll go with that.

"Policing is expensive but, like anything, you get what you pay for.

"Prevention of major incidents was a big part of that and thankfully things were never put to the test."

Director of rugby Richard Cockerill believes that his Leicester Tigers side may have to win their remaining four matches to finish at the top of their Heineken Cup pool.

Tigers head into tomorrow's clash with Treviso at Welford Road with one win and one defeat under their belts.

After back-to-back games against the Italians before Christmas, Tigers then face the return with Ospreys, in Wales, next month before completing their qualifying fixtures with another heavyweight battle at home to Toulouse.

"We probably have to win all four of our pool games to finish top," said Cockerill.

"Depending on what we get bonus point-wise, we might be able to get away with winning three."

Most Tigers fans will believe that their side need to bank bonus-point wins in both matches against Treviso, if they are to take control of the group in the next 10 days.

"In the home game, we have to look for five points and make sure we get it right," Cockerill said. "We have to pick those points up, there is no point pretending we won't.

"For the away game, we have to go there and win first and foremost. Treviso are a hard side to play against. But if we get it right there is no reason why we can't get 10 points out of the next two weeks. We need nine as a bare minimum."

A fire which has destroyed three barns and several outbuildings on a farm near Melton is expected to continue burning for another two days.

The blaze broke out at Aylesford's Farm, Shoby, on Thursday.

Firefighters were still at the scene last night, more than 36 hours after 2,000 tonnes of straw and hay bales first caught light.

Crews spent Thursday night battling the flames to prevent them spreading to a store housing 15 tonnes of combustible ammonium nitrate fertiliser.

At the height of the blaze, more than 35 firefighters were battling the flames, including a specialist hazardous materials team.

Crew manager Paul Sherwin, from Melton Fire Station, was the first to arrive at the farm, at about 5.30pm on Thursday, and led the firefighting operation.

"You could see the smoke and flames for some distance," he said. "We were faced with three barns and several outbuildings containing straw and hay which were well alight. We managed to save a 4x4 vehicle and tractor, but t he big danger was a separate building housing 15 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. We had to train a jet on the large barn to create a firebreak to prevent it spreading while the fertiliser was removed. With hay fires on this scale all you can do is stop it from spreading and let it burn out.

"All that's left now is a pile of burning hay which will go on burning for another two days.

"The main thing is no-one was hurt."

A section of the A6006 was closed by police in both directions, close to the Shoby village turn-off, and was reopened at 8.20am yesterday.

The cause of the blaze will not be known until fire investigators can safely assess the damage.

A hospital boss apologised to a young mother after she was sent a letter mistakenly telling her she was carrying the infection that killed her two-week-old baby.

Jane Porter, head of midwifery at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, told Kealy Watts she was sorry the letter telling her she was carrying the bacterial infection Group B streptococcus (GBS) had been sent.

An inquest yesterday into the death of Ms Watts's daughter, Izzybella Pawley, heard how the tot died suddenly from blood poisoning on New Year's Eve last year, just hours after contracting GBS.

After receiving the letter, Ms Watts, of Braunstone, Leicester, believed she had passed the infection on to her daughter.

Ms Porter told the hearing at Leicester Town Hall that the blood test results for Ms Watts and Izzybella had got mixed up. As a result, Ms Watts was told she was infected with GBS when she was not.

Ms Porter said: "We did make an error and I am sorry about that. The system has been changed and is much more robust in relation to the identification of the results for the mother and for a child."

In the wake of the tot's death, Ms Watts and Izzybella's father, Kyle Pawley, raised £2,500 for the Group B Step Support charity through a fund-raising night and by running the Leicester half-marathon with other family members.

Detective Constable Gary Dunigan told the inquest how Mr Pawley had desperately given his baby daughter CPR when he realised she was ill.

The officer said Mr Pawley had fed his daughter and put her to bed at about midnight on December 30.

He fell asleep on the sofa downstairs but woke up later.

"He immediately knew something was wrong," said Det Con Dunigan.

"He had had some training in the Army and put Izzybella on the floor and called Kealy to come downstairs.

"He started CPR on Izzybella. The ambulance was called and he moved Izzybella on to the table and carried on CPR until the ambulance staff arrived and took over."

Izzybella was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary but was pronounced dead hours later.

Paediatric pathologist Roger Malcomson said Izzybella had died from septicaemia caused by the GBS.

He said the most likely way the infection had entered the tot's bloodstream was either through a urinary infection of an inflamed airway.

Izzybella was born five weeks premature on December 17 at the infirmary.

Coroner Lydia Brown recorded a verdict of natural causes.

She said: "It is impossible to say where the infection came from."

She told Ms Porter: "The sending of the letter was completely unacceptable. This erroneous letter can only have added to the distress the family was suffering."

After the hearing, Mr Pawley said they had received the letter the day after their daughter had died. He said: "It was very upsetting and should not have happened."

Midfield star Andy King says Leicester City are determined to serve up another cracker for fans against Barnsley today.

The game has been made a fans' fixture and the club has been turned into a 'Winter Wonderland'.

Cut-price tickets are on offer and an ice rink has been created along with fair rides.

City are on a roll at home with 10 goals in the last two home games, and King said they wanted to deliver another pre-Christmas present for the fans.

They face Barnsley, a side short on confidence after a run of nine games without a win and just one victory from 13, and King believes an early strike could prove a deadly blow to the Tykes' morale.

"We have been fortunate to score a couple of early goals at home which has given us and the fans a boost and we have gone on to dominate the games," he said.

"We have been scoring goals freely as well, which has made a difference. A lot of that will be in the opposition's heads now because they have seen the results of teams who have previously come here.

"They are thinking 'here we go again' if we score early. It is all down to concentration hard work and defending.

The club's Winter Wonderland over the weekend has a host of festive attractions, including a giant ice rink.

"It would be great to get all the kids down before Christmas," said King.

"The fans have been brilliant and definitely one of the major factors why we have done well at home so far.

"They have seen a lot of good football, probably the best they have seen for several years.

"They have seen goals and they have been positive even when things haven't gone our way, so it is good they have been able to enjoy some good results lately."

But King warned Barnsley are a dangerous side and his Wales team-mate, striker Craig Davies, is the man to stop. He pointed to last season as a warning when Barnsley won 2-1 at the King Power Stadium.

"We have to concentrate on every game. Teams are going to be looking at us as a scalp," he said.

The Winter Wonderland will only be open to supporters at the game today and the general public tomorrow (10am-4pm).

A youngster was hit in the face by a flying drawer when his mother's washing machine exploded, wrecking most of their kitchen.

Mum Sarah Blackshaw, 33, of Braunstone, Leicester, said two-year-old Harry and his four-year-old brother, Charlie, were playing in the kitchen on Thursday afternoon when the appliance blew up without warning.

"There was a terrific bang," said Sarah.

"Harry was facing the washing machine and the front of the drawer hit him just below the eye.

"I took him to the doctor who said that if it had been an inch higher it would have been right in his eye."

She said Harry, who escaped with a black eye, was now frightened to go into the kitchen.

Charlie was not injured in the incident, but went to pre-school the next morning talking about how the "naughty washer" had hurt his brother, said Sarah.

The explosion blew the sides from cupboards next to the machine, made a large dent in a dishwasher and damaged a worktop.

Sarah said the washing machine's metal drum was dented and all the plastic around it had been completely ripped off by the blast.

"When my seven-year-old daughter, Sarah, came home from school, she couldn't believe what had happened," she added.

"It was like something from a war zone."

"I remembered that two Indesit models, the WIXL143 and WIXE 167, had been reported on the BBC programme Watchdog as having faults, but when I checked on the company site there was nothing about my machine, a model IWC 6165," said Sarah.

Watchdog says on its website that it has received "a number of complaints" about exploding Indesit washing machines.

It says that one customer, in Suffolk, heard an "almighty bang" and when she went to investigate found that "the top of the machine had been raised, the front dials had been pushed out of the machine, the door had been blown open and the impact of the force had lifted the top of the kitchen cabinet and moved her oven", while "inside, the drum had come loose and was left buckled and twisted".

Sarah contacted Indesit and was told her damaged washer would be collected and she would be given a free replacement.

"They asked me to get quotes from carpenters about the damage to the kitchen," she said.

"The problem is, if I am given a new Indesit washer, who is to say the same thing won't happen with that one?

"There was no warning about my previous machine, which I bought about two years ago, so how can I be sure the replacement will be safe?"

An Indesit spokesman said: "We were sorry to hear Ms Blackshaw has experienced a problem with her washing machine.

"Our customer service team has been liaising closely with her in order to resolve the matter and ensure that she is satisfied with the outcome. We take all customer inquiries seriously and deal with each on a case by case basis. We would like to inform consumers this problem does not affect any Indesit models on sale today."

Watchdog advises anyone who owns the models in its programme, WIXL143 or WIXE167, or has any concerns, to contact Indesit customer services on 01733 287 843 or by e-mailing:

support@indesit.com

Great Central Railway bosses are planning to build a £10 million museum, it was revealed today.

The attraction would increase the number of visitors to the city by more than 200,000 people a year.

The plan, which the GCR is working on with Leicester City Council and the National Railway Museum, in York, would create about 100 jobs in construction and about 50 full-time posts at the museum itself.

The GCR's Leicester North station, near Station Road, Birstall, has been earmarked for the museum, which would show off locomotives, carriages and other railway artefacts from the York collection, one of the largest of its kind in the world.

The GCR's managing director, Bill Ford, said yesterday: "We are talking about a major project and what we think will be a huge attraction for the city.

"We want it to be a major national attraction."

He said he envisaged the attraction as a significant annex to the York museum, which attracts 750,000 visitors annually. It will tell the story of how the railways helped Leicester become a thriving industrial city.

Exhibition halls and galleries would have direct access to the GCR track, allowing engines and rolling stock to move in and out of the museum – and allow visitors to get close to the exhibits and experience the workings of a heritage railway.

Mr Ford said the three parties had been in discussions for a number of months, and had signed a deal to press ahead with the scheme.

The aim is to fund the project through bids to the Heritage Lottery Fund and for European Union cash. "The deal is signed and the hard work really begins on Monday morning," said Mr Ford. "We have been promised 10 locomotives from the National Railway Museum's collection.''

The GCR, with its other heritage stations in Loughborough, Quorn and Rothley, draws in 120,000 visitors a year.

With the new museum, scheduled to open in five years, that would increase to 350,000.

"The railways played a huge role in establishing Leicester as a major industrial force, opening up vast export markets for goods made in the city," said Mr Ford. "This attraction will bring together priceless locomotives and historical artefacts to tell that story in a way that will appeal to both railway enthusiasts and to anyone with an interest in the city and its heritage."

Paul Kirkman, acting director of the National Railway Museum, said: "The prime objective of the National Railway Museum is to ensure the national collection is properly cared for and is accessible to the public.

"However, much of our collection is in store, out of sight of the public, or dispersed across various sites due to a lack of space. This new centre in Leicester would make it possible for us to share more of our historic artefacts with a much wider audience."

City mayor Peter Soulsby said: "The museum would house items which are of both national importance and local interest, complementing the nearby National Space Centre and Abbey Pumping Station and helping to enhance the city's reputation as an important visitor destination."

CHRISTMAS may be two weeks away but that didn't stop hundreds of people getting into the festive spirit on Sunday.

Melton Country Park was a sea of red as people donned Santa suits complete with beards to take part in a 5km charity fun run. 

A "best dressed dogs for Christmas" competition got things started before "Healthy Elf" and some loud music helped warm everyone up before the run. 

Among those taking part were the Harrison family who were running to raise money to buy a ReWalk suit for their dad, Andy. 

Andy, from Tamar Road in Melton had a benign tumour removed from his spine a few years ago but complications led to him being permanently in a wheelchair. 

He and his family now hope to raise more than £20,000 to buy him a robotic suit that would enable him to walk.

His daughter Hannah (16) and wife Keeley were joined by 17 others from the NFU office on Asfordby Road, who hoped to raise over £400 for the Andy Harrison Mobility Appeal. 

Also running for her chosen charity was Nicole Knight (21) from Melton, who said: "I'm running to raise money for Macmillan because my friend's mum died of cancer last year."

Organised by the Melton Rotary Club, the event was one of hundreds of Santa runs taking place up and down the county this weekend.

Runners, walkers and even wheelchair users chose the charity they wanted to raise money for and the £10 adult entry fee, which included a free Santa suit, was donated to local charities supported by Rotary.

One of the organisers, Ron Edwards said: "The event is brilliant because it brings a lot of people together, everyone has a smile on their face, but the main thing is it raises money for local clubs and associations.  

"People get to do some good and have fun which is really what Christmas is all about."

Organisers hope this year's Melton event will raise around £8,000 for various charities.

More than 1,000 Santas ensured the festive spirit was felt yesterday as they raised cash for good causes.

A long procession of fund-raisers, dressed in their red and white Santa suits, ran all the way from Loughborough University to the town's market place and back, accompanied by prams, pushchairs and several dogs dressed in tinsel and reindeer antlers.

Each year, the run raises tens of thousands of pounds for good causes, including Loros, the air ambulance and the Rainbows children's hospice, in Loughborough.

Jennifer Sugden and her family went the extra mile by having their Santa – Jennifer's grandmother, Gillian Cooper – complete with a sleigh.

Jennifer, 24, of Newtown Linford, said: "I was her reindeer, dressed in antlers and a reindeer T-shirt, and we turned a wheelchair into a sleigh for her by painting cardboard and attaching it to the sides.

"There were eight of us running for a dog charity and it was really good fun.

"When we got to town we all stopped and did a bucket collection."

Among the 1,020 runners were 32 members of Team Ashmount – pupils, staff and parents from Ashmount Special School, in Loughborough.

Mairi Taylor, who runs the Fab Fitness gym, in Barrow upon Soar, was running with seven of her members. "It's a great way to stay fit and a fun thing to do in the run-up to Christmas," she said

Matt Chapman, 38, also of Barrow, was running with his family. He said: "We've done it every year and it's a nice Christmas tradition."

His 10-year-old daughter, Poppy, said: "It's my fourth year doing it and I like it because I get a new Santa suit to do it in every year."

Roger Barker, who is treasurer of the Loughborough Rotary Club, which organises the annual event, said: "It's our eighth year this year and we're very pleased with the turnout.

"It's gorgeous weather for it – the perfect weather. We got to try it in the snow a couple of years ago and it was terrible. It's very dangerous with all the ice."

At Melton Country Park, there were dozens more Santas running for good causes, as well as plenty more dogs taking part.The fun run raised an estimated £8,000.

Organiser Ron Edwards, of Melton Rotary Club, said: "The event is brilliant because it brings a lot of people together, everyone has a smile on their face, but the main thing is it raises money for local clubs and associations.

"People get to do some good and have fun which is really what Christmas is all about."

Oadby had its own Santa Dash at Brocks Hill Country Park, with 15 people taking part to raise money for the Mayor of Oadby and Wigston's charity, SSAFA, which aids servicemen and their families in times of need.