CHILDREN were left deflated after thieves stole a bouncy castle from a pub garden.

The 20ft by 20ft orange, white and blue inflatable was a popular feature at the Pheasant Inn, on Drake Street, Welland, near Malvern.

Youngsters who had turned up for lunch with their parents last Sunday expecting to play on the castle found just an empty space.

Landlady Maria Newton said she only discovered it was missing when some children asked for it to be inflated.

"We switched on the electricity to inflate it but when we went outside to check it was going up, there was just a big, brown patch on the ground where it had been," she said.

"We had some very disappointed children on Sunday - there were even a few tears. It put a real damper on what had been a great weekend."

Thieves cut through the chains that secured the castle to a brick barbecue hut and slashed the tags that tied it to the ground.

They also stole an electric generator.

Ms Newton, who runs the pub with her partner Paul Gumbley, 45, said it was part of the fixtures and fittings when they bought the pub in September.

But now the couple, who live with their eight-week-old son Josh and Mr Gumbley's daughters Rachel, 15, and Steph, 17, are looking at buying a replacement.

"We're not sure whether it was covered by the insurance, so we may have to find a second hand one and pay for it," Ms Newton said.

The bouncy castle sometime between 11.30pm on Saturday and 12.45pm the next day.

n Maria Newton (left) and Rachel Gumbley in the empty space where their bouncy castle once stood.