SOARING through the sky a week earlier than normal was Father Christmas and his friends from the Royal Air Force.

Santa was picked up at Great Sankey High School in a Griffin helicopter before delivering presents to The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and Alder Hey Children’s hospital, in Liverpool.

Bobby Barrow, chief technician and part-time elf, said: “We do this every year and normally fly from the RAF airbase Woodvale but this year we decided to pick a school to set off from.

“We have raised more than £1,600 to buy presents for newborns and up to 16-year-olds.”

Crowds of pupils and teachers from the Barrow Hall Lane school and the nearby Great Sankey nursery came out to wave Santa on his way.