It’s the kind of festive scene to melt many a child’s heart this special time of year - a giant inflatable snowman holding a huge cigarette to his little button mouth.

This fag-toting Frosty is currently standing guard outside a shop in Sheerness High Street.

He’s the property of TJ’s E-Cigarettes, whose owner bought the decoration to advertise his business.

A passing shopper posted a picture of the smoking snowman on Twitter.

The clearly disgruntled author wrote: “Is it only me that has a problem with this?”

The shop’s owner, Terry Hutton, who is from Sittingbourne, said the icy character’s offending prop is his own creation, made from a tube and yellow paper for the filter.

He said: “Everyone’s got their opinion around here and something to say because it’s the Isle of Sheppey.

“I’ve had a lot of passing parents stop and take a picture of their children by the snowman because they think its funny.

“Obviously, I’m not out to offend anyone.

“I bought it as another shop in the High Street has one and I added the cigarette to be a bit tongue in cheek because that’s what we sell.”

Mr Hutton, 35, who has run the Sheerness store for eight months and has other e-cigarette outlets in Milton and Maidstone, said people were “very quick to take offence” over his drag-happy snowman.

He promised to stub out the jolly white giant if umbrage continued to be taken.

“If anyone comes into the shop and complains I’ll take him down,” he said.

Readers with long memories will remember that snowmen have form when it comes to lighting up.

Frosty the Snowman himself - a product of the 1950s when smoking was more socially acceptable - is rarely seen without a pipe in his mouth.

Have you seen any weird Christmas decorations this year? Or do you own some yourself? Send pictures to news@thekmgroup.co.uk or tweet us at @Kent_Online

Video: Smokey the Snowman has caused a stir

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