A giant straw goat that has become an annual highlight in the Swedish city of Gavle has been burned by an arsonist.

A man in his 40s was arrested after the structure was set alight in the early hours of Friday.

The goat has been attacked many times before but survived every festive period since 2016 under 24-hour security.

Spokeswoman Rebecca Steiner said she was devastated by the attack on the seasonal institution.

"It's just a week before Christmas and I cannot understand how a person can carry out this kind of attack to a Christmas symbol known all over the world," she told the BBC.