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Vandals beheaded a Father Christmas model in a bizarre case of criminal damage this week.

As the countdown to Christmas approached the last 100 days police were called to a garden display in leafy Aughton .

There they found someone had attacked one of the ornaments - leaving a headless Father Christmas lying on the grass.

With the sun still shining above the region the signs of the approaching festive season did not appear to go down well with everyone.

As Christmas items - from decorations to fancy dress - began appearing on shop shelves Lancashire Police patrols ended up being called to an Aughton home on Thursday.

And last night they tweeted evidence of what they found, revealing the stricken Santa Claus.

Appealing for information over the incident the Ormskirk and Burscough Police team joked: “Criminal damage in Aughton on Father Christmas. The elves are not happy! Any info ring 101 quote log 1560 of 15/09.”