In a parallel universe, Father Christmas is a very different character. A psychotic old man with a mince-pie-encrusted beard, this Santa ritually breaks into people's homes in the middle of winter and leaves packages of broken toys made by slaves in a nightmare ice prison. Seen in this light, St. Nick is hardly a childhood hero -- he is a menace to be stopped at all costs.

As further evidence, we present this collection of images, collated by our in-house surveillance team. These depict Santas acting less than jolly and more than slightly drunk. You have been warned.

Bad Santas

    Flickr, Chuckumentary

    Flickr, Chuckumentary

    Flickr, Hometown Invasion Tour

    Flickr, Chuckumentary

    Getty Images

    Flickr, Ma1974

    Metromix