Giant image of Santa appears on Devon hillside

A 1,000 square metre chalk drawing of Santa has appeared on a hillside in Devon. The artwork is a promotion for a well-known sweet brand, and it allows you to send a treat to someone you love.

The festive artworks, which feature a ‘Shh’ gesture, have been spotted near Bideford. There is also one in England's North West near Penrith, Cumbria, but the Bideford artwork is the largest of the red, white, and purple Santas, measuring 1,000 square metres.

Next to each one is a small QR code to scan for a ‘sweet secret’. The artworks are part of the Cadbury Secret Santa postal service, where people can secretly send loved ones a free bar of chocolate by scanning a QR code on posters across the UK. It comes after research of 2,000 adults who celebrate Christmas, also commissioned by the chocolate brand, found 36% intend to gift in secret over the festive period.

And 68% would be happy both giving or receiving a surprise gift, with 41% claiming they love surprising others, while 38 % enjoy imagining the recipient’s smile as they open it up. A third like the fact it’s secret - meaning the other person doesn’t feel they have to give something in return.

When it comes to receiving a secret gift, 45% would enjoy wondering who it was from. With 29 per cent claiming such a gift would feel “a bit like magic”, and 26% said it would remind them of being a child again.

And 38% said a gesture of this kind would result in feelings of joy which would last for days. Four in 10 (42%) also revealed receiving a secret gift is extra special because you know the giver was trying to surprise you with the aim of making your day.

To help as many people as possible take part in the Cadbury Secret Santa, which is back for a seventh year, a new Secret Santa chatbot has been created to guide them towards their nearest poster.

Cadbury brand manager Nicole Dudley described the postal service as being “back, bigger, and more magical than ever, adding: “To celebrate and add some festive cheer, giant "Shh-ing" Secret Santas have been placed on hillsides – from the dramatic Devon coastline to the picturesque Cumbrian fells.”