Looming above the Place Vendome in Paris is a seemingly innocuous 24ft tall green inflatable Christmas tree, created by American artist Paul McCarthy.

But the artwork, simple entitled 'Tree', has raised eyebrows in the French capital because of its uncanny resemblance to a certain type of sex toy.

McCarthy, an enfant terrible of the art world, created the suggestive sculpture for a contemporary art fair - but some Parisians are not happy about it and think city authorities should have 'pulled the plug' on the project.

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Look, it's a tree, all right? An enormous sculpture in Place Vendome in Paris has caused consternation for its resemblance to a certain type of sex toy

French kiss: Some social media users say the suggestive sculpture has 'humiliated' Paris

French Spring, a French far-right group opposed to gay marriage - posted a picture of the controversial inflatable on Twitter, adding: 'Place Vendome disfigured! Paris humiliated!'

It added: 'This is where your tax dollars are going!'

'Standing at 24.4 metres tall Place Vendome Tree by Paul McCarthy is a thought sculpture specifically for this place in relation to the exhibition Chocolate Factory presented at the Monnaie de Paris, the first major solo exhibition of the artist in the city,' says the French art site Artistik Rezo.

The sculpture is accompanied by a gallery where the visitor is welcomed by a forest of similarly suspiciously-shaped Christmas trees, culminating in a room full of chocolate figurines, including some of Santa holding - perhaps unsurprisingly - the same sexually suggestive symbol.

Provocateur: Artist Paul McCarthy walks in front of 'Tree', his monumental artwork at Place Vendome

A very merry Christmas: Paul McCarthy's completely innocent sculpture showing Santa holding a tree. Honest

McCarthy is no stranger to controversy and is known for artworks corrupting innocent symbols of youth, from Disney to Hollywood.

At a 2011 exhibition in London he displayed an identical pair of clay anamatronic sculptures of former president George W Bush having sex with pigs.

A description of the Paris exhibition on the Flashart website states: 'Aside from their looming proportions, these familiar objects appear bizarrely out of place in the polished surrounds of the historical building.