THERE will be plenty of treats on offer when Santa arrives at Poole Quay on Sunday.

Stopping off at the Poole town centre Sainsbury's store, he left with a trolley-load of chocolate to hand out to the crowds during Poole Tourism's Santa Ahoy event, and met Mog, the star of Sainsbury's Christmas campaign.

Sainsbury's is one of the local businesses supporting the event, which is being financed for the last time this year by Borough of Poole, which stepped in last year after the Dolphin Shopping Centre axed the traditional Christmas parade.

“We love to get involved in the Christmas parade, it is a great community event helping to boost the spirit of Christmas,” said Kevin Strowger, store manager at Poole.

Father Christmas will arrive by decorated lifeboat at 10am, boarding Poole Land Train for a short trip up and down Poole Quay, accompanied by Dorset Youth Marching Band, Zumba Snowmen and some of the cast from Lighthouse panto Peter Pan.

Goodies donated by Sainsbury's and independent shops Truly Scrumptious and The Cabin, will be given out by Santa and his helpers as they walk the quay from the old Corkers Restaurant to the Thistle Hotel as a host of entertainers wow the crowds. He will leave by RNLI lifeboat at 12noon.

Poole Quay will be closed to traffic from 9am to 12noon. As part of Poole's free festive parking, town centre car parks will be free on the day from 10am to 6pm.