Santa was hit by a hail of pastry and dried fruit as the youths
launched a barrage of mince pies from the upper level of the shopping
centre in Paisley, west of Glasgow.
Now worried shopping centre chiefs, fearing a repeat siege of Santa,
have taken "drastic" measures, issuing him with a builder-style hard hat.
"We are a multi-level centre, and have taken this somewhat drastic
action to protect Santa from possible injury," Andrew MacKinnon, the
centre manager, explained.
"Such an incident does give rise to health and safety concerns, and we
take the safety of our staff very seriously."
Santa's new hard hat has been decorated with red reindeer antlers to
"Christmas it up a bit," he added.
Derek Mackay, the Scottish National Party leader, said the mince pie
"madness" could harm Paisley, home of the famous Paisley pattern.
The manager said that a gang of local "neds," or yobs, threw the pies
before running off. Last year, the centre's Father Christmas was set upon
by youths calling him a "fraud and a fake."