A Santa Claus and his helpers were attacked by stone-throwing youngsters as they began their annual tour of a Scottish village.

Around 40 youths, mainly in their early teens, gathered in Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, and bombarded the hapless Santa's float with rocks, before it was able to flee to safety.

Fire alarm engineer Andy McGeady, 47, was playing the role for Alloa and District Round Table when the float was attacked.

He described how dozens of stones narrowly missed him before rebounding off a perspex screen behind him and his fellow festive workers.

Mr McGeady said: "In all my years dressing as Santa for the kids at Christmas, I have never seen anything like it.

"There was a big crowd of kids throwing masses of stones. They weren't half-bricks but they were fair-sized stones and pebbles."

About-turn

A team of makeshift security guards were unable to stop the bombardment and Santa and his "grotto" made an about-turn to avoid further damage to the float and themselves.

Santa's helper, Round Tabler Douglas Richmond, said he was terrified as stones as big as "a large fist" began to fly.

He said: "We had to kill the lights and music and speed out of the area. We were chased out of the street, but we were very concerned that someone would be badly hurt."

Inspector Jim Dow of Central Scotland Police said officers were looking into the incident which Jannette McGowan, chair of the local residents' association described as "shocking".