A father of four who used festive lights to create the shape of a penis and spell out a swear word on the side of his house has been arrested and charged, after police failed to see the funny side of his festive prank.

The Christmas joker later changed the lights to a large picture of a bell, and added the word "end" after it.

The Daily Mail reports that Steve McGawley, of Blackpool, UK, was arrested after he refused to take down the display.

Steve McGawley / Facebook Steve McGawley, of Blackpool, has apologised for his offensive Christmas lights.

When two police officers arrived, McGawley refused to open the door at first, saying "he had no clothes on", according to the Daily Mail. The trio argued for ten minutes until McGawley was arrested and charged with a public order offence.

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He later apologised to his neighbours and took down the offensive lights.

McGawley told the Daily Mail: "I think it's way over the top. I was only having a laugh with the lights. It was a bit of a joke really. They should be out there catching proper criminals."

McGawley later used his lights to spell out the word "sorry".

Social media reaction has been mixed, with some people finding the prank hilarious, while others said it was inappropriate, as children could walk past the house.

Blackpool is a town well-known for its festive light displays, Blackpool Illuminations, which attract thousands. However, McGawley's house is not likely to make the list of attractions.