A pub has raised an incredible £11,000 for charity, despite being targeted by thieves during its biggest fundraising event of the year.

The Queen Victoria Inn in Priddy, near Wells, is well known for its extravagant Christmas displays and annual charity events. The pub, which was recently featured on BBC One as one of the UK's "most Christmassy pubs", held a spectacular fundraising evening in December 2024—only to be robbed that same night.

On Friday, 6 December, the Queen Victoria Inn lit up the Mendip Hills with more than 55,000 Christmas lights, including a 26-foot snowman made from 2,500 wine bottles and a 16-foot Christmas tree also crafted from wine bottles. The pub, ranked the number one pub in Priddy on Tripadvisor, hosted a series of fundraising events, including the annual Santa Run, which sees participants take on a muddy route across the Mendips in full Santa gear.

However, the night took an unexpected turn when the pub announced the next day that it had been robbed, forcing it to close temporarily. While police were involved, the pub never publicly confirmed how much money had been stolen.

Despite the setback, the fundraising continued, and the pub was able to hand over a staggering £11,000 to Children's Hospice South West. A spokesperson for CHSW said: "We'd like to extend a huge thank you to The Queen Victoria Inn for their incredible fundraising efforts during the festive season.

"Through their annual Santa Run across the muddy Mendips and the much-loved light switch-on, they've raised an impressive £11,000 for CHSW."