Dad builds Rudolph drone-deer to guide Santa to new Stratford home

Hamza Silman, 8, with dad Jonathan and the reindeer drone (Image: East Village)

Thanks to Jonathan Silman, jolly old Saint Nick will have no trouble getting presents to his son Hamza, 8, at the family’s new home in the former athlete’s village this Christmas Eve.

The dad-of-one piloted a drone with its very own reindeer on the front, passing landmarks like the Olympic stadium and the ArcelorMittal Orbit, to make sure Santa knew the best sleigh route in.

“Hamza was really worried that Santa and his reindeers wouldn’t be able to find his way to East Village as it’s such a new neighbourhood,” said Jonathan, who got permission to fly the drone from Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Get Living London, who owns and manages the rented homes at East Village.

“Nothing would put his fears at bay. Even after I put up a ‘Santa stop here’ sign, he asked me questions like how will Santa find his way to our new home – especially as we haven’t lived here long.”

“Hamza believes Santa uses chimneys as a guiding point to find the good children, this broke my heart so I decided to take matters into my own hands.”

Jonathan, 28, said he hoped his video would inspire children in new neighbourhoods up and down the country – “especially those living in houses and flats which don’t have chimneys”.

Rudolph spots the Santa stop here sign and comes in to land (Image: East Village)

Neil Young, chief executive officer at Get Living London, which owns and manages the rented homes at East Village, said: “It’s great to see our residents putting E20 on the map.

“We were delighted to support Jonathan with getting flight permission to create this video, showing Santa doesn’t need a chimney to find us, and that he can find good children everywhere.

“At East Village, we put great emphasis on all our residents’ wellbeing and it was great to see a smile on Hamza’s face when his Dad showed him this video.”