HUNDREDS have now visited the magical winter wonderland in Chippenham’s Emery Gate, but few know the heartbreak that inspired it.

Centre manager Nicola Milne has been creating Santa’s grotto since 2009, but this year’s one is of special importance to her.

Proceeds are going to buy a mobile ventilator for babies born prematurely, after her niece, Charlotte, died in hospital in Sheffield at just seven days old.

Mrs Milne, 44, said: “My sister had a normal pregnancy, but, unfortunately, there were complications in birth that left baby Charlotte starved of oxygen.

“She only survived seven days and then they had to turn off the ventilator. A portable ventilator would allow parents to take their babies home for the last few days of their life and let them pass away at home.

“It would have been lovely to be able to take Charlotte to the park. It makes an enormous difference not to be in that sterile situation.”

Nearly 240 children visited the grotto in its first weekend alone. Mrs Milne intends that 40 per cent of the profits will go to the neonatal unit at Royal United Hospital in Bath, which cared for her grandson, Jay Theobald, of Calne, who is now three.

She said: “Jay was premature. He was only in there for a week and is fine now. It just goes to show what an excellent job they do, all the support they showed, not just to the baby but also to his parents and big sister. ”

It took three months for Mrs Milne to make the grotto, with help from security guards and a cleaner. She used recycled materials from Wiltshire Scrapstore and items shops would have thrown out. The gingerbread house structure is cardboard tubes, while giant lollies are made from draught excluder foam.

She said: “There’s no budget, so it’s all about recycling and imagination.”

Grotto visits, the Kandu Arts Follow the Star competition and card sales raised £900 in the first weekend.