A COMIC Christmas card which pokes fun at the controversial i360 has gone on sale.

The festive scene shows a starry, clear night on Brighton seafront with a Christmas tree atop the completed 530ft viewing tower.

But Rudolph the red nose reindeer and Father Christmas with a sleigh full of presents in tow have crashed into what will be the tallest building in Sussex, exclaiming "Who put that there?"

Artist Shirley Veater - who is known for her Brighton-themed greetings cards - also jokes about the location by writing "Hove actually!" at the bottom of the original design.

While the drawing is lighthearted, it hints at the controversy the multi-million project has attracted since its creation.

The inspiration came to Mrs Veater while she are lunch in Melrose fish restaurant and watched the construction opposite.

She said: "It struck me that wherever you can go you can see it. I thought 'wouldn't it be funny if Santa bashed into it'. It went up quite quickly and he wouldn't know it was there."

She is reserving judgement until it is completed.

She said: "It has been interesting watching the tower going up and it might be fabulous when it's finished.

"But it does seem to me along the seafront you have these grand regency terraces and then this industrial looking pole."

She draws on inspiration from Paul Cezanne, Pablo Picasso, and Van Gogh among other famous artists as well as her faith in Christianity.

"I like the cards to have a bit of humour but I also make religious Christmas cards - it is the birth of Jesus," she said.

Mrs Veater, who has invented around 30 festive designs of the city so far, has penned her creations in a studio at her home in Saltdean for 35 years.

Her cards are on sale now at Kerfuffle in St George's Road, Brighton, Malarkey in Bond Street, City Books in Western Road, the Regency Tavern, in Russell Square - where all the proceeds are used to help the homeless - as well as Saltdean and Rottingdean post offices.