The Christmas panto season has started early in the district of Tinajo this year after the island government decided to play the grinch and demand the deconstruction of the local council’s traditional Christmas nativity scene, or Belen.

The ridiculous row revolves around the original creation of the large scale festive scene by the local council which, apparently, flouted various regulations governing size, scale and use of materials, with local Tinajo mayor Jesus Machin admitting that he had also failed to secure the correct permissions for its original construction.

As a result the island government intervened – ordering the dismantling of the nativity scene, so forcing the local council to submit fresh plans for its reconstruction solely in wood and to the correct parameters in time for the Christmas festivities.