ROTARIANS took their responsibilities seriously when they ran Santa’s Grotto at Sunday’s Christmas Lights switch on in St Albans.

Confident in their public liability cover, they were able to have a bit of fun at the expense of a district council request for a simple risk assessment for their records should the necessary insurance not be in place.

So St Albans Verulamium Rotary “insurance experts” put up a few potential hazards and how they would deal with them should they arise.

Among a variety of solutions for potential problems was trained counsellors being available in the grotto to go “there, there, there, there” should children be frightened of Santa, a check on the Christmas tree to ensure it was not carrying Ash dieback fungus and a pledge to treat Rotarians carrying heavy collecting cans for Repetitive Strain Injury problems.

The tongue-in-cheek response also pledged that a special reindeer whisperer and wrangler had been hired should the animals run amok in the market, ongoing research to ameliorate any discomfort suffered by the fairy on top of the Christmas tree and air traffic control permission obtained from Luton for Santa to overfly the airport.

And to the suggestion that the gentlemen might get too merry, the Rotarians expressed the fervent wish, “Let’s hope so”.

Steve Potter, St Albans Rotary communications officer, said that the response to the council had all been in “good fun” and stressed that the public was never put at risk their events.