CHRISTMAS cheer has returned to the family of Frosty the inflatable snowman, thanks to kind-hearted bosses at a Lancashire store.

As reported in last week's Lancashire Evening Telegraph, Frosty met his end when he was deflated during an attempted drunken abduction from the garden of his owners in Preston Old Road, Blackburn.

But now staff at B & M Bargains in St Annes have come to the rescue with an 8ft replacement.

Owner Sheila Moss was initially in two minds whether to replace Frosty. She said: "Lots of people enjoyed Frosty but then you get the unwanted attention from drunken lads and I don't want to go through that again. However maybe the lads getting arrested will be a warning to all.

"It's so nice of them to give it to us. We will definitely have to put up the new snowman up as it would seem wrong not to. People enjoyed looking at Frosty and when he was deflated he was missed by a lot of people. It is so kind of the shop."

Danny Martin, Deputy Manager of B&M Bargains in St Annes heard about the 'death' of Frosty and immediately went back to work and rang his area manager Jon Trubshaw to see if they could donate a snowman to Mr and Mrs Moss.

Danny says: "I thought it was such a shame. I've heard about this kind of thing happening before and I don't want the kids missing out so I had to see if I could get them another and I knew we had been selling these kind of snowmen."

At the moment they are currently out of stock of the illuminated snowman due to popular demand so one has had to be ordered in from B&M's in Dudley, West Midlands.

The snowman will arrive tonight in St Annes and Stephen will pick him up on Wednesday morning.

A name has not be given to the new snowman but 'Frosty 2' is being considered.

Daniel Parker, 20, of Bonsall Street, and Matthew Harrison, 18, of Preston Old Road, both Blackburn, both pleaded guilty to criminal damage. They were each ordered to pay £55 compensation and £50 costs to the Moss family by Blackburn magistrates.