A PRIZE-WINNING straw man has been vandalised after securing a rosette at Bisterne Scarecrow Festival.

Old-Limp-Ics, depicting an old man on a zimmer frame, was created by landscape gardener Billy Bristow and his wife Sarah.

Father-of-three Billy, 38, from Sandford, between Christchurch and Ringwood , told the Daily Echo how they had woken on Sunday to find their straw man damaged beyond repair.

He said: “It was mindless vandalism. The scarecrow was on the grass verge outside our house when his mask was ripped off and fireworks were stuck down his trousers and set off. The children are gutted, we’d spent about a fortnight making him and about £60. It was the first time I’d entered the competition and it may well be the last. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the damage.”

The remaining scarecrows will be on show until Sunday.