VANDALS have left a Blackburn couple deflated after their eight-foot plastic snowman was destroyed.

Frosty the Snowman was proving popular with passers-by after Stephen and Sheila Moss placed him in the front garden of their home in Preston Old Road as part of their own winter wonderland display.

But just as Sheila was getting over the initial embarrassment of having the festive feature lighting up her garden, vandals attacked Frosty on Saturday night.

He now lies punctured and deflated on the front lawn, complete with an improvised RIP sign left nearby.

Sheila said she had come to appreciate Frosty after he proved popular with passing people.

She said: "I used to look out of the window and saw he brought pleasure to people of all ages. Older people would go past, some with prams, and smile and then the young children would go past and wave at him.

"I don't understand why someone would do that to the snowman. It's a shame about Frosty. I had begun to understand why he was proving so popular with people passing by."

The family say that on Saturday vandals tried to drag Frosty from the front garden. After failing to remove him they left him deflated on the lawn.

Sheila added: "The damage done is beyond repair and at the moment he is lying deflated in the garden with a RIP sign attached to the fence explaining the demise of Frosty."

Two men have been charged with criminal damage and will appear before Blackburn magistrates today.