A Belfast shopping centre is bringing back its Silent Santa Sunday initiative this festive season.

The Kennedy Centre, in the west of the city, has announced that for the second year running, they have extended support for children with additional needs when visiting the centre’s Christmas dome to meet-and-greet with Santa Claus.

Every Sunday until Christmas, between 9am and 1pm, Kennedy Centre will be opening its doors for Silent Santa visits.

These visits are for children with additional needs should they require extra support, or for children who might potentially become anxious in the face of excessive noise, queues or crowding during busy opening hours.

For the duration of these Silent Santa visits, stores will remain closed and no music will be played in the centre. It will be a completely relaxed environment designed specifically to reduce fear and anxiety.

Should a child become anxious, frightened or if access issues arise during their visit, Santa will greet them at a more convenient point around the Christmas installation for photographs.

Centre Manager, John Jones has said: "Kennedy Centre has always been a cornerstone of the community here in West Belfast. We are a community-based shopping centre and with that we have a responsibility to ensure that we take adequate measures to provide support for members of the community with additional needs."

Kennedy Centre relaxed Santa sessions take place every Sunday (9am – 1pm) until December 23.

How to follow us on social media

Here's our main Belfast Live Facebook page.

On Twitter, you can follow our account by clicking here.

If you're a lover of photos, then check out our Instagram.

We've also got dedicated Facebook pages for North, South, East and West Belfast, as well as courts and crime.

Sports fans can find all the latest local action over on our Belfast Live Sport Facebook and Twitter and also on Match Online on both Facebook and Twitter.

Keep up-to-date with all the very latest news, what's on, sport and everything else in Belfast and beyond with the Belfast Live app.

Only select news that interests you by picking the topics you want to display on the app's homepage. Plus, our enhanced user experience includes live blogs, video, interactive maps and slick picture galleries. Download it now and get involved.

Click here to get it from the App Store or here for Google Play .