A couple have boosted the Help for Heroes appeal by building a snowman with a difference in Corsham.

Emma Proctor was visiting her parents in Pickwick Road at the weekend with her boyfriend Charlie McNeill and, following the heavy snowfall, the couple decided to build an upside down snowman.

Miss Proctor, a designer and illustrator who works for Tigerprint, a division of Hallmark cards, said: “I’d made a hand-standing snowman once before in my current town of Kettering and noticed what a fantastic response it had.

“The snowman took about three hours to build and we used canes for support and a few carefully positioned plums.

“I knew from its popularity previously that people were happy to photograph it so I thought if they wished they could donate money for Help for Heroes.”

Drivers seeing the snowman stopped to take photographs and donate money.

Miss Proctor thought it would last for days but it was not to be as a young man was seen smashing it up at 2am on Sunday. She said: “We’d removed most of the donated money that evening but sadly the collection bucket with the remaining money was booted into the road and a man was seen running away.

“The next morning several kind-spirited people helped collect the remaining scattered money and people are still making small donations as a result of our thank you sign.”

Help for Heroes Wiltshire co-ordinator Bernice Brady said: “They raised £46, which is brilliant.”