AN angry mum horrified parents when she spat in an elf’s face at a shopping centre Christmas Grotto after being told her child couldn't see Father Christmas.

The furious parent was told she didn't have a booking, which needed to be made in advance because it was during a time slot that was reserved for children with autism.

She had reportedly accused another woman of pushing in front of her in the queue when she launched the "abhorrent" attack on the innocent Christmas helper at the Castlegate Shopping Centre in Stockton-on-Tees.

Cleveland Police are now investigating the assault that happened on December 8 and are trying to identify the woman.

Karen Eve, the shopping centre manager, said the elf had recovered and is still working inside the grotto.

She added: “Nobody expects something like this to happen at a grotto for children for Christmas.

"It was an appalling incident and all our customers have been horrified by it.

"It is the elves' jobs to welcome the children and make sure they have a magical experience.

"They do not deserve to be treated like this while they are merely carrying out their duties."

The woman lost her temper when she wasn’t allowed to take her child to see Father Christmas because she didn’t have a booking, police said.

The elves to calm her down and explain that the specific time slot was reserved for children with autism and other parents had booked during that time period.

Eve said during that time the lights are dimmed and noises are softened to try and reduce stress for children with autism waiting to meet Father Christmas.

The aggravated mum then turned and spat in the shocked female elf’s face.

Eve added: "We have a special hour between 3pm and 4pm every day which is just for children with autism. Parents book spaces in advance.

"This woman did not like the fact that other people were being given priority.

"We are treating this as an isolated incident. We think it is an one-off and we are offering our staff as much help as they need."

Inspector Mark Doherty from Stockton Neighbourhood Team told Teesside Live: "It’s absolutely abhorrent that anyone would spit in the face of one of the elves.

"We’ve recorded it as a crime and will be working alongside the Castlegate Shopping Centre to identify the woman. Anyone who knows the woman responsible or saw the incident should contact us."

He added that it was not reported to police, but he became aware of the assault on Wednesday after it was posted on Facebook.

The Sun Online has contacted Cleveland Police for a comment.