Santa Claus tells devastated young boy, nine, to ‘lay off the hamburgers and chips'

A little boy was left devastated after Father Christmas offered him some unwanted diet advice and suggested he should ‘lay off the hamburgers’.

Anthony Mayse, 9, had gone to a Christmas-themed house in Forrest City, North Carolina to meet Santa – who was employed by the city council.

But Santa’s advice left Mayse extremely upset, his parents said – after he had asked Santa for an iPod Touch and a drone.

‘I was crying until I went to bed that night,’ he said.

‘And when I got done, he said lay off the hamburgers and french fries, and that really just disrespected me and I felt awful.

‘And I went out and I started crying because I just felt so bad.’

MORE: Polar bear numbers could drop by a third in 40 years, research says

MORE: Police officer killed after huge sinkhole opens up in road in Texas

Mayse’s parents complained about the unwanted diet advice, and the Santa (who has not been named) has been reprimanded.

The city council said he has been allowed to keep his job.