Grown-ups think fairy tales are nothing but stories, but this Christmas The Argus Appeal is out to prove them wrong.

Anyone wandering through the centre of Brighton this December will stumble upon a magical sight, straight from the pages of Hans Christian Andersen.

Today, we can finally reveal the unique and imaginative project which promises to make this Christmas one to remember for the young and young-at-heart in Sussex.

For one month only, the House of Correction, the former prison next to Donatello restaurant in The Lanes, Brighton, will be transformed into a chocolate box vision dreams are made of when it becomes The Gingerbread House - the best Santa's grotto the city has seen for years.

It will boast life-size gingerbread girls and boys, huge sticks of candy cane, reindeer, gobstoppers, chocolate coins and more - and that's just the outside of the building.

An inviting glow will light up the house, inside and out, and remote-controlled snow machines will ensure an authentic wintry atmosphere.

Most of us remember a childhood trip to visit Santa in his grotto which began with smiles of anticipation but ended with a sinking heart as the experience failed to live up to expectations.

The magic disappeared somewhere between the queue to enter a room "transformed" with the help of a bit of crepe paper and a string of twinkling fairy lights, and the shocking realisation Santa was capable of being as grumpy as anyone else.

But what if there was a grotto in town that was magical on the outside as well as the inside, was excellent value and reasonably priced and was home to a jolly Santa, with the guarantee every penny went to charity?

The Gingerbread House promises all that and more and, in just a few days, everyone can judge for themselves when Father Christmas arrives to take up residence in the building.

The Gingerbread project is the brainchild of Elsa Gillio, a trustee and co-ordinator of The Argus Appeal.

She said: "The best Santa's grotto Brighton ever had was in Hanningtons. It was magnificent - it beat London stores hands down. Their store windows were magical and the actual grotto a real fairy tale.

"But they stopped doing it quite a few years ago and it made front-page news for days.

"Since then there has not been a grotto in town that comes anywhere near.

"Last year, The Argus Appeal experimented with a grotto for one evening at Brighton Marina.

"We put a tent in the middle of the square with Santa inside and they queued for hours. There is a severe lack of decent, magical grottos in the area.

"During my research into Christmas grottos, the one common cry from parents was the lack of value for money.

"All over the country grottos are perceived to be a waste of money but a necessary evil at Christmas.

"Even Harrods got a disappointing review last year - a four-hour wait, children didn't think Father Christmas looked real and some weren't happy with their book and badge.

"As I did my research into grottos, I found numerous huts, igloos, log cabins, snow-capped mountains - all housed within shopping centres.

"I could find no record of anyone transforming a real building into a Santa's grotto, or anyone who was giving every penny to a registered charity.

"This is a unique project for a great cause and has caught the imagination of many businesses in the community.

"Their help has been essential to the success of The Gingerbread House."

Work on transforming the former prison is almost complete and well on schedule for the grand opening on Saturday.

The premises are owned by Sue and Pietro Addis of Donatello, the Italian restaurant next door.

They are fully behind the project and have generously kept the building empty specifically for that purpose.

Sue said: "We're very excited about this project. We always support the appeal in any way possible and we think this is a fantastic way not only to raise money but to provide something special for children in The Lanes at Christmas."

The House of Correction is an 1835 Grade II listed building so the help of Brighton and Hove City Council was sought to ensure no damage was caused to it in the process of its transformation.

Designers have divided the inside of the house into three areas. Visitors will be able to listen to a specially-commissioned story as they take their walk through the winter wonderland.

Children will first enter into a night-time winter forest with twinkling lights, snow-covered trees, sparkling fibre-optic snowmen and fairy tale music, written by students from Brighton and Hove's music service.

Behind a silver curtain they will see elves beavering away in their workshop, complete with windows looking out on to snowy mountains and a reindeer.

The experience ends in a personal meeting with Santa as he sits on a throne in his crystal ice cave.

Children will then wander out through a passageway of snowflakes and icicles back into the hustle an bustle of the real world outside.

The Gingerbread House will be open every day from December 1 to 24 and in that time more than 3,000 children are expected to pass through its doors.

Visits to the house will be on a first-come, first- served basis.

Unfortunately, the layout of the house means certain areas are not accessible for wheelchairs.

Special evenings are being planned to accommodate wheelchair guests.

To gain admittance to the grotto, each child must pay £3.75. Adults go free if accompanied by a child.

Every penny raised will go to The Argus Appeal.

Among the goodies those who enter the house will receive are a Christmas gift, a secret freebie and a raffle ticket for a £800 rocking horse donated by local store Earthly Artefacts.

Opening times for The Gingerbread House will be 10.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday, and 10am to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday.