Mmm... You Can Really Taste The Goat

A Swedish straw goat frequently attacked by vandals over the Christmas period has been taken down - unharmed - at the end of festivities. The 13m goat in the city of Gavle survived Christmas for only the 11th time.

The 2006 goat was flameproofed ... (Photo - AP) ... the 2005 goat was not.

Goats of Christmas past have been burned down on 22 occasions, ram-raided or simply smashed to pieces. Authorities said the goat's longevity in 2006 was down to a special flame-resistant chemical coating. In 2005, arsonists dressed as Santa Claus and the Gingerbread Man burned the goat to the ground... Gavle's Christmas goat was first installed in the town's central square in 1966. Some have been burnt down within hours of being erected during the first week of December.

A trojan goat full of explosives would make things interesting.