A hunter blasts store's Christmas reindeer to death

A reindeer escaped from a Christmas display only to be shot and killed by a hunter.

The hunter mistook it for a local deer and shot him in Franklin Park, Pennsylvania.

Donner had escaped from a garden centre along with his sidekick Blitzen.

Donner was quickly recaptured, but Blitzen took off for nearby forests.

Garden centre employee Jennifer Smith told television station WTAE TV: "We're all very upset and distraught. We feel like we've lost a member of our family here.

"We hope this will make people more cautious of what they're doing during hunting season. Don't get buck fever and shoot at anything that moves."

The reindeer's owner has not decided what action to take and police and the local wildlife commission have both said they are not responsible, as reindeer are not covered in the local hunting regulations.