Mr Justice Christopher Morton was forced to send out police to silence the 3ft high musical tree which had been positioned outside a shop next to Carmarthen Crown Court.

The £74.95 novelty tree - complete with eyes and a mouth - blares out renditions of Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming to Town and White Christmas each time it is touched by a curious customer.

Judge Morton, 55, initially dispatched an usher to ask that it be switched off.

The request appeared to have worked until one hour later when the singing started back up again.

Police sent round

"This is really becoming intrusive now," Judge Morton told the court before sending round a police officer to speak to the shopkeeper Angela Squire, 60.

"I'm really sorry and I can only apologise to the judge, " said Mrs Squires.

"I never meant to cause any problems. I know how serious the trial was."

"I turned it off when I was first asked but then I turned it back on again because I thought the case was over.