Taiwan steals Welsh Christmas cheer

It has not been a good year for the Welsh. First, they were knocked out of the Rugby World Cup by England and then their hopes of reaching football's Euro 2004 were cruelly dashed.

But they seemed certain to be world beaters yesterday when 3,200 people donned red costumes and white beards in a bid to break the world record for the largest meeting of Santa Clauses.

What they did not realise, however, was that among numerous Santa gatherings this weekend there was an identical attempt in Taiwan on Saturday.

The Guinness World Records bid in Wales was in Newtown, Powys, where locals held a Santa fun run.

Organisers celebrated after they smashed the previous record of 2,685, set a year ago in Bralanda, Sweden.

'It was brilliant,' said co-ordinator Dougie Bancroft. 'All you could see was a sea of red and white jogging down the main street.'

But, like the rugby and football, the Welsh were destined to lose again - the bid in Taiwan's capital Taipei drew a world-beating 3,618 Santas.