Newspaper forced to apologise after publishing Father Christmas death notice

Bosses at a Norway newspaper will be on the naughty list this Christmas after printing a death notice for Santa Claus . The publication quickly apologised and confirmed that to its knowledge Father Christmas had not died yesterday (December 3, 2015). The shocking announcement also claimed that the funeral was to be held on December […]

Bosses at a Norway newspaper will be on the naughty list this Christmas after printing a death notice for Santa Claus .
The publication quickly apologised and confirmed that to its knowledge Father Christmas had not died yesterday (December 3, 2015).
The shocking announcement also claimed that the funeral was to be held on December 28 at the “North Pole Chapel”.
But the publication stopped short of giving a cause of death.
Norway’s second-biggest selling newspaper Aftenposten blamed the gaffe on a “internal procedure error”.
A spokesman said: “An error in Aftenposten’s internal procedures led to a fictional obituary of Santa Claus [being] published in our digital systems.
Aftenposten has strict guidelines for both the content and use of symbols in our obituaries.
“This ad is a violation of these and should never have been published.
“We will find out what has happened.”
It removed the classified ad from its website after bosses were made aware of it.
The original notice read: “Dear Father Christmas, born 12 December 1788,” and claimed he died in Nordkapp, Norway – just before his 227th birthday.
It appeared with a picture of a cross.

Culled from mirror.co.uk