National Coal Mining Museum cancels Christmas celebrations as Wakefield to enter Tier 3 lockdown

The museum, in Wakefield, has been closed for much of the year, as a result of government policies on lockdown and social distancing.

It had been hoped the museum, which offers a look at a modern colliery which witnessed more than 200 years of coal production, would reopen next month, following the end of the second national lockdown.

The museum had even begun selling tickets for families to meet Santa in a socially-distanced manner.

But following the announcement that Wakefield will enter into Tier 3 restrictions from December 2, staff at the museum said they had made the decision to cancel the event.

The museum, which is a registered charity, urged people to show support or make a donation if possible.

In a Facebook post, they team said: "Following the government’s announcement that West Yorkshire will enter Tier 3 from 3 December, the National Coal Mining Museum will remain closed, pending further updates.

"If you have booked tickets for Santa@Pit, we will be in touch with you shortly.

"In the meantime, we have a great selection of gifts available on our website which we can post to you or arrange a time to click and collect.

"If you would like to be our Secret Santa you can support us by clicking the donate button or visiting our website https://www.ncm.org.uk/donate. Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to welcoming you back soon!"