Father Christmas is in a critical condition and at least seven reindeer are dead after residents opened fire on his sleigh while it was flying over Newark.

Mistaking the harbinger of joy and gifts for a drone, Lenny Batts, 43, and several of his friends used their semi-automatic rifles to bring it down.

"We were quite pleased with our shooting until we got to the crash site and saw our mistake," Batts said. "It was a frightful mess. Guts and presents everywhere."

Claus was airlifted out by helecopter, but this was itself shot down.

"Our bad again," Batts said. "We were certain it was a drone that time."

Jolly Old Saint Nicholas and the two new casualties were then taken to hospital by ambulance.

Rudolph has yet to be identified as the sheer amount of blood at the scene left all noses red.