The Grinch must have read my column last week because he has sure been working to steal someone’s Christmas!

I was watching The Daily Show, an American satirical look at the news, when host Trevor Noah started to talk about Britain.

“Not more Brexit,” I moaned – but it was much worse.

He announced that England’s most up-market store, Harrods, was to limit visitors to Santa’s grotto to families who spent more than £2,000 in the shop. They would then pay a further £25 per child to see Santa himself.

It is outrageous but then suspected that this was “fake news”.

Every year we get outlandish stories about Christmas being ruined by someone. I immediately searched the internet to find an article in The Guardian backing up everything Trevor Noah said.

I have never heard of anything that negates the spirit of Christmas more.

I am sure the wealthy of London will be lining up. In fact, a spokesman told The Daily Show that all the available places had been taken.

If there are any “ordinary” people wanting to make sure their children get a taste of Harrod’s Christmas magic, then I bet they will paying for it for the rest of the year.

It is so wrong on so many levels.

Last week I said I could understand why stores started advertising Christmas as early as they do. For many it is there make or break time of year.

It is also fair enough to charge people to see Santa but not in this way.

If you’ve ever seen Miracle on 34th Street you will remember that Santa started telling parents in which other stores they could buy coveted Christmas items.

This caused a surge of goodwill and became Macy’s best-ever selling point.

This is totally the opposite. I wasn’t going anyway, but I certainly wouldn’t now even if I had the chance.

I just hope in Harrod’s case the gifts the children receive is worth £25!

I am going to stick to places like Dunmail Park in Workington where the decorations are fabulous, Santa doesn’t charge the earth and there is a lovely gift.

I can also talk about Maryport Town Council – but I am sure other places are the same. Here children are charged £3 to see Santa and get a bag of gifts probably worth twice that.

Everybody has to make a living and Christmas has become the time to make it. But start being as greedy as Harrods and I am sure that, in the end, customer dissatisfaction will make you rue the day that the pursuit of money came at the expense of anything else.

Greed is greed all year around, but it just seems so much worse in December.

Nobody from Harrods is going to read this column and, if they did, they wouldn’t care. But I have vented and I hereby vow I will never step foot in that shop again!

Horrible decision!