A festive enthusiast was left stunned after receiving an anonymous poison pen letter from a disgruntled neighbour, branding his 20ft Christmas decorations "cheapy, tacky and completely out of place in our quiet street".
Dave Goodings, 31, mistakenly ordered a 20ft inflatable Santa last year, believing it was just 4ft tall. Despite the error, he erected it anyway and claims it attracted crowds eager to snap photographs. This prompted him to add another 20ft inflatable on Sunday - a £179 snowman.
However, he was left astounded when an anonymous complaint landed through his letterbox in Chessington, Greater London. The irritated neighbour claimed the "tacky" decorations "ruin the character of the road and they make the whole area look ridiculous", threatening to report the matter to the council unless they were removed.
Dave, a DJ business owner from Chessington, has stood his ground, saying: "We are expecting our first baby early next year, so this really felt like the Christmas where we could go completely over the top, and why not. It has become a bit of a tradition now.
"And let's be honest, it would not feel like Christmas on our street without a giant inflatable. We have somehow become known for it. At first my heart sank a little bit as I never want to upset or hurt anyone but when you re-read it it's kind of funny. It's the time of year when you can let your hair down, but someone doesn't feel the same as us. It brings so much joy - already this year we've seen people walking by and taking photos.
"They didn't knock on our door to have a word with us - we don't know who it's from or who it's come from. I get that they're big, but it's Christmas, not a crime scene. If I'm being honest, the letter has only made the whole thing even funnier."
The anonymous letter, which dropped through his letterbox on Monday (02/12) during the daytime, came in an envelope with no name or address written on it. It read: "To the occupier of this house. I live down the road and I am absolutely horrified by the giant Santa and giant snowman inflatables you have put outside your property.
"They look cheap, tacky and completely out of place in our quiet street. The inflatables are an eyesore, they ruin the character of the road and they make the whole area look ridiculous rather than the nice tidy street it usually is.
"This is not a request, this is a formal complaint from someone who actually lives nearby. The display is offensive to the neighbourhood. It is ruining the view from our homes and it shows zero respect for the community. Please take them down immediately.
"If they are not removed at once I will be reporting the matter to the council and the residents association, and I will be urging others in the road to do the same. So, do the decent thing and bring them in before tonight. Regards, An unhappy neighbour" Expectant father Dave initially purchased what he believed to be a 4ft £24.99 inflatable from B&Q last Christmas.
He remarked: "Once we had opened it we thought we'd put it up and give it a go - we ended up leaving it up for most of December. It was really popular and a big hit.
"No complaints last year and it all went down really well. Everyone enjoyed watching it and people walking by with smiles on their faces and kids getting photos of the Santa."
Dave also noted that residing near Chessington World of Adventures amplifies the spectacle. He commented: "We are becoming the new tourist attraction in town. People slow down to take photos and some even make little detours just to see the giants in action."