STAFF at a Stourport car dealership have been left baffled after their inflatable snowman came under fire last week.

The team at Barclay Motor Company believe the 8ft decoration, which sat on top of a roof, was shot down with a pellet gun during the night of Tuesday last week.

It was the second time this year the Vale Road garage had been targeted by vandals after a window was shot in April.

Joe Byrne, company director, said: "All we were trying to do was cheer people up but it looks like it might have had the opposite effect and made people miserable, thinking how close Christmas now is.

"We are planning to perform a puncture repair operation to the snowman to try and get him back up on top of the roof.

"Everyone has seen the funny side but, on the other hand, if we cannot fix it then someone has cost us some money. The snowman did cost us £40."

The 42-year-old vowed the incident would not dampen this year's Christmas spirit at the garage but inflatables of Santa Claus and his reindeer have been moved indoors - "for their own protection" - until nearer the yuletide season.

A special Christmas grotto is planned at the garage, which has been open for 19 months, to raise money for good causes in Stourport.