The world was mourning the loss of Santa Claus today after one of Christmas’s favourite characters died aged 86.

Actor John Moore was best-known as being perhaps one of the most famous Father Christmas characters after starring in the festive Coca-Cola and Morrisons adverts

Mr Moore, from Burgess Hill in West Sussex, brought Father Christmas to life every year for many families for his role in the much-loved adverts in 2005 and 2006.

During the rest of the year he worked as a taxi driver and barman.


Photographer, Ian Pack, met Mr Moore at a 2011 photo shoot.

He spoke today of his sadness at hearing he had died: ‘He was a very nice man and it very sad news indeed.’



Mr Moore spoke to the Financial Times in 2011 about his work over the Christmas period: ‘There are lots of things you need to watch out for, you can’t automatically assume the adults with the child are their parent.

‘You must never assume a kid has both parents, I’ve had eight-year-olds whispering that they’d like mummy to come home for Christmas.

‘It’s good to talk to other people to find out how they deal with these things.’

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John Moore 1928-2014 (Picture: YouTube/MS06LUK)