It can be an expensive time of the year but that didn’t stop Dagenham singing sensation Leigh Luscious from making her Christmas video - for just £50.

The performer, real name Leigh Phelen, filmed the majority of Never Had Your Heart Broken at the grotto in Basildon shopping centre, forking out just £25 on a Santa outfit with the rest going on transport costs.

“It just shows that even on a budget you can still make a video - you just have to be more creative,” Leigh, who lives in Elstow Road, said. “It was lovely going into Santa’s grotto and I didn’t really expect, as an adult, to find it so magical.”

The film crew had to pop in and out of the grotto as the owners were unable to close it for the shoot, making filming a little bit disjointed.

But bumping into some friends of friends enabled Leigh to corner some extras - although they weren’t all that musically inclined.

“It was very sweet because there is a little boy at the front who was swaying in completely the wrong direction,” Leigh admitted.

“But everyone seems to like the track and the grotto staff were saying that it’s really catchy. Hopefully it makes people feel really Christmassy.”