Children screamed 'Daddy! Daddy! It's Daddy!' with joy when they realised

Brought children Alfie and Lily down to see present brought by 'an elf'

Ruth Stevens wrapped serviceman husband up and hid him by the tree

This is the heart-warming moment two young children opened an early Christmas present to discover it was their Navy hero dad back early from the front lines.

Little Alfie and Lily were shepherded downstairs by mum Ruth Stevens and confronted with an enormous wrapped object brought in the night by 'an elf'.

After the two wonder how such a large gift made its way into their living room, they tear into the wrapping paper with gusto and break into huge smiles when they see their father - Naval engineer Scott Lee Stevens - underneath.

Surprise! Lily and Alfie Stevens were confronted with a mysterious, giant present in their living room in Plymouth

With cries of 'Daddy, daddy, it's daddy!' the two burst out into huge smiles as they realise he's been allowed home early from the Mediterranean to spend Christmas with them.

Mrs Stevens, 30, from Plymouth, says: 'You missed him, three months; daddy's come back from the Navy for Christmas.

'Elf brought him home, how magic is that?'

'Daddy! It's daddy!: The two excited kids broke out into massive grins when they realised their father, Scott Lee Stevens, had come back early from his deployment to see them

At the end of the minute-long clip, Mr Stevens, 31, can be heard saying: 'You didn't expect that one did you?'

Mrs Stevens uploaded the touching moment on Facebook, with the words: 'Elf brought daddy home early for Xmas'.