Santa Claus pepper-sprayed by cops in Frankston Bunnings days out from Christmas

A man dressed as Santa Claus had to be pepper-sprayed and taken to hospital after a bizarre incident at Bunnings.

Police responded to reports of a man behaving erratically inside the hardware store in the south Melbourne suburb of Frankston at 1pm on Thursday.

He was asked to leave by staff but refused and when officers intervened he became aggressive.

A man dressed as Santa Claus has been pepper-sprayed and taken to hospital after an incident at Bunnings

The fake Santa assaulted police, who were forced to pepper-spray him and wrestle him the ground outside the store.

‘Officers were forced to escort the man off the premises but he resisted officers and assaulted them,’ Victoria police said in a statement. 

The man collapsed and was treated by paramedics, who decided to transport him to hospital.

‘The man fell unconscious and was taken to hospital for treatment,’ police said.

Ambulance Victoria confirmed a man was taken to Frankston Hospital at 1.40pm on Thursday after a medical emergency. 

Bunnings said in a statement its Frankston staff had handled the situation in a ‘professional manner’. 

The fake Santa was asked to leave by Bunnings staff but refused then when officers intervened he became aggressive

After the fake Santa was pepper-sprayed he was treated by paramedics and taken to hospital

The store also confirmed that the fake Santa was not one of their employees.

On social media shoppers posted what they saw during the incident.

One woman said the man, ‘in his 60s’ had been ‘threatening’ staff and other shoppers. 

A customer posted a photo of the man being treated by paramedics outside the store with the caption ‘Santa getting arrested at Frankston Bunnings today.’