Actress Dakota Blue Richards has been described by locals as a "yob" after she helped knock down a snowman and snowdog with a gang of girls in East Sussex.

The 13-year-old star was involved in the destruction of two snow sculptures outside a newsagents in Hove, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Newsagent Abe Restato said: "We put our heart and soul into that snowman. People were coming up and giving us stuff like coal for the eyes. It was a real team effort and an amazing day."

He added: "Now I don't even want her autograph. She went from cool to uncool in a very short space of time."

A spokesperson for the Golden Compass star said: "It was a game that obviously somewhere along the way went awry. It was not done with malicious intent at all."

Local resident John Conrad commented: "It seems kids today can't stop being inconsiderate yobs even if they are film stars."