A shop which stocks replica weapons came under fire this week for dressing up a dummy as a gun-toting Father Christmas – but the boss says the Santa figure has been in the window for weeks without complaint.
Edward Leo, who runs Combat -UK in Broadwater Crescent, Stevenage, dressed up a spare female mannequin with a red and white trimmed suit, black sunglasses and replica gun and placed it in the window several weeks ago.
Mr Leo said: “At no time have we had a member of the public or customers raising any concerns regarding our Santa.
“At Combat-UK we embrace Christmas and Santa in his many forms.”
Rita Brian of Bragbury End told the Comet she did not find the joke funny. The 65-year-old said: “The shop has always grated on me, but this Santa in the window is totally inappropriate. I know there is a school nearby and children have to walk past the shop every day.
“I have no problem with army surplus goods, it is just the weapons.”
Michael Wilson, who works in the shop, added: “It’s been up for a while now and no one has said anything.
“There is nothing behind it, we just had a spare mannequin and we hadn’t done anything else for Christmas. No one’s complained to us but maybe it’s because of the guns – although they are all fakes.”
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