Fake Christmas tree to be removed

The damaged tree will be removed for repairs

A fake Christmas tree which some residents in a Dorset town described as looking like a witch's hat is to be replaced after a vandal attack.

The £14,000 30ft (10m) cone in Falkland Square in Poole was a replacement for the town centre's traditional fir tree.

Earlier this week vandals ripped off the lights it had been decorated with.

Dolphin Shopping Centre has now donated a traditional 30ft (10m) Christmas tree. The cone, criticised heavily by shoppers, is to be replaced on Tuesday.

Dorset Police said they believed several people could have climbed the damaged tree - funded by businesses - and ripped off artificial layers. The force has been examining CCTV footage.