A 73-year-old from north Norfolk is hoping to gatecrash the battle for Christmas number one after releasing a song fronted by puppets he made during the coronavirus lockdown.

Nigel Holmes, from Mundesley, said the song is a mash-up of Ding Dong Merrily on High and Good King Wenceslas, sung by a group of puppets known as Aunty Darling and the Fluffets.

He said: “I may be old, but I see no reason why I can’t compete alongside the others. Always dream big.

“Anyway, it’s time we brought back real songs about Christmas after a three-year run of sausage rolls."

The song was created on a home computer in his spare room.

“I don’t play any instruments and can’t really sing. Yet with a kazoo and a few Santa sleigh bells I somehow made the whole thing work.

"I may not have a huge recording studio and specialist equipment but what I do have is imagination and a willingness to experiment," he said.

The video that goes along with the song was also created in the spare room, filmed on a smart phone and edited on that same computer.

Aunty Darling and the Fluffets, the gang of rainbow-coloured puppets that front the song, were the result of lockdown boredom.

Mr Holmes said: "My wife Brenda and I made the very first puppet from scraps we found in our loft. Foam rubber, glue and fluff were everywhere. Covid didn't kill off our creativity."

The Fluffets first appearance was on TikTok where they have more than 100 videos.

They are now opening a channel on YouTube.

Mr Holmes said that his puppets and their song are not aimed at children, but at all ages who enjoy Christmas.

He also said the puppets were already singing odd stuff on social media and it seemed the obvious step for them to pop up on a larger stage.

“I always like a challenge," he added.

When Mr Holmes was a boy in the church choir, he was always told off for singing more Glorias in the carols than he should, he said.

Now, many years later, he has been able to do it again.

Ding Dong Christmas by Aunty Darling and the Fluffets is available on Spotify and all music streaming platforms.

The video can been seen on YouTube by clicking here or searching for 'The Fluffets'.