The town is discussing what should be done to fix or replace the stone that is ‘hugely popular’ with residents and visitors.

Shrewsbury is discussing what should be done with the "hugely popular" tourist attraction, town clerk Helen Ball said. "You can't see that it says Ebenezer Scrooge at the moment because it's so damaged.

The 1984 film, one of dozens of adaptations of the Charles Dickens ' classic, starred George C. Scott as the cold-hearted curmudgeon. After going to sleep on Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of past, present and future and shown the error of his ways to become a kinder, more generous person.