Father Christmas’s winter wonderland homes are hotting up

Many towns claiming to be the birthplace of Santa Claus have seen unseasonal temperatures

After a year in which the climate has been far more naughty than nice, even Father Christmas - in his various guises - is feeling the heat, according to the towns that claim to be his birthplace.

From Alaska to Finland, half a dozen Arctic towns have staked a claim to be the home of Santa Claus or whatever other name he is locally known as. And almost without exception, these winter wonderlands are hotting up.