The popular cartoon characters at Old Mulherin Park have received a festive facelift, after falling foul to vandals during the weekend.

Workers – armed with hoses, mops and scrubbing brushes – used plenty of elbow grease to put the ‘yabba-dabba-doo’ back into poor old Fred Flintstone, who bore the brunt of the attack.

Mackay Port Authority chairman John Taylor said paint sprays had been used to vandalise the characters.

“It’s disappointing when you see this sort of thing,” Mr Taylor said. “Fred, Snoopy and the crocodile are icons in the park – so it was fitting to give the characters a fresh coat of paint and a scrub up for Christmas.”

Mr Taylor said Fred was now looking a million dollars.

“Even Wilma would be proud of him,” he said.