In Kingston, it’s not the Grinch but a 24-year-old man who police say stole Christmas.

As Christmas-themed floats slowly rolled down Princess St. during Kingston’s annual Santa Claus parade, an intoxicated man shouted blasphemous lies to shocked children: Santa doesn’t exist.

The man, whose gelled hair “looked like a set of devil horns protruding from his head,” was reported to Kingston police, Const. Steve Koopman said.

Police arrested a 24-year-old man around 6 p.m.

“It was pretty despicable that someone, during this time of the year, would tell kids Santa isn’t real — which of course we would argue,” Koopman said.

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While Kingston police wouldn’t identify the man, they confirmed that he was on probation. He spent Saturday night in a cell while he sobered up.

The next morning he was granted bail in court on the condition that he abstain from alcohol, Koopman said.

The man is charged with causing a disturbance by being drunk and breach of probation. Police wouldn’t confirm his previous offence.

Kingston residents went to Twitter and Facebook to voice their outrage.

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“It irritates me when things like this happen … let a kid be a kid,” said a Twitter user named Kim V.

Others called the man a Grinch and wondered if he would receive coal in his stocking.