It's a famous pub sign that has withstood the test of time for more than three decades - but it met its match when a bus swerved and hit it last week.

The sign at the front of the Mischief pub in Fye Bridge Street, near Magdalen Street, has been a well-known landmark in this historic part of the city for years.

It depicts a boy with a slingshot who is hiding behind a tree after just smashing a window with his weapon, and is believed to be a copy of a famous painting.

The sign had hung outside the pub for about 30 years but it was knocked off its hinges at about 8am last Monday and was left hanging loose.

The pub's general manager Lindsay Smith was only alerted to its precarious state several hours later, and said it could have seriously hurt passers-by if it had fallen to the ground.

She said: 'There are traffic lights outside the pub at the moment while May Gurney is carrying out the resurfacing of Fye bridge.

'Some of the workers there told us that they saw a bus swerve and hit the sign, and it was left hanging there.

'It's a really heavy sign and would have hurt someone if it had fallen on their head. It was also quite dangerous because the sign was wired up to the electrics in the pub.

'The pub building was not damaged but the bus must have been up on the pavement to knock off the sign.'

She said that she understood that a bus company had admitted liability for the damage, although this could not be confirmed.

The pub sign is now stored at the back of the pub and is too badly damaged to be repaired.

But Miss Smith said that she might open up the design of the new sign to art college students in a competition.

Has your property recently been damaged? Call reporter David Bale on 01603 772427 or email david.bale2@archant.co.uk.