Police say a former officer, John Smith, appears to have attended a Santa’s grotto event on Christmas Day while dressed as an elf, despite a court order banning him from having any contact with children. The Mirror reports that Smith had already been found to have engaged in sexualised online chats with children and that he was twice caught through decoy accounts. Following those offences, he was prohibited from any child contact. The Manchester Evening News similarly describes Smith dressing as an elf at the “family-orientated” event. Both reports present the incident as a breach of the existing restriction, highlighting how Smith’s presence at a children’s event drew attention. The accounts focus on the role of the ban, the circumstances of Smith’s earlier online offending, and his alleged disguise as an elf at the Christmas event. The reports do not provide further details on arrests, charges related to the grotto incident, or the outcome of any subsequent investigation.