And even in today's modern, high-tech world of mobile phones, iPods and computers, they have been given an easy way to believe in Father Christmas.

It's all down to an ingenious idea from Hucknall businessman Steve Neale.

For the 37-year-old, of Voce Gardens, has developed a website that allows parents to arrange for a text message to be sent to the mobile phones of their youngsters direct from Santa himself.

At a small charge, the message can be arranged to arrive on Christmas Day or any time you specify.

You can even set up instant messages whereby you text what you want Santa to say, send it to a specific number and it will be bounced back as coming from the man in red.

Already the site, www.message-from-santa.co.uk, has attracted bumper interest with more than 1,500 people asking for messages to be sent on Christmas Day.

Steve, who has two daughters of his own, nine-year-old Lucy and four-year-old Katie, said: "I was out with Lucy last year when I came up with the idea.

"Kids being kids, sometimes they need a bit of persuasion to believe in Santa. I thought to myself that it would be good if I could send a text from Santa and it developed from there."

A website deigner and freelance consultant, Steve runs his company EM360 Ltd from his home.

He added: "The response to the site has been excellent. It has really caught people's imaginations."

Each scheduled message costs £2.99. But for instant messages, credit bundles of five, ten, 20 and 50 can be bought for anything between £2.50 and £15.

All you have to do is log on and follow the straightforward instructions on screen to register.

Steve, who is married to Helen (34) and has lived in Hucknall for six years, added: "The only problem is that I can't let my daughters see the site, otherwise they won't believe!

"Now I can't let them see me in the Dispatch either!"