Boy, 9, left in tears after being fat-shamed by Santa

A nine-year-old US boy has been left in tears after being fat-shamed by Santa.

Anthony Mayse of Rutherfordton, North Carolina, visited Saint Nick with his family on Saturday after an evening of ice-skating. And, while the visit should have been magical, it left the little boy feeling "awful".

Speaking to local news station WLOS TV, Anthony said, " When [Santa] got done, he said, 'Lay off the hamburgers and french fries, and that just really disrespected me ..."

The little boy was so affected by Santa's hurtful words he cried until he went to bed - and ripped up the photo he'd had taken during the visit.

Anthony's mother, Ashley, was left "mind-blown", by the encounter.  "Very rude," she said. "I've never seen anything like it ... I wished a million times that we never went."

And, her heartbroken little boy, is vowing never to sit on Santa's lap again.

Town manager, John Condrey, released the following statement, advising that the Santa in question had resigned on Tuesday after apologising to Anthony and his mother:

On Saturday, December 3, the individual who played Santa Claus at the Santa House in Forest City made a remark that he regretted. He apologised to the parent, the child and the town. A town representative spoke to the mother on Monday and also apologised. On Tuesday, that individual who portrayed Santa Claus and was scheduled for the next two Fridays and Saturdays has informed the town he would no longer provide his service as Santa to the Town.

Ashley told The Huffington Post she was relieved with the outcome. "I hate that it came down to that, but I'm glad he's gone and no other children will have to go through what my son did Saturday," she said. "It was really heartbreaking."

And, as one tweeter remarked: