A giant snow globe constructed around a statue of Eros in London's Piccadilly Circus collapsed Monday causing fake snow to rain down on shoppers in the popular London square.

The decorative Christmas display, according to its creators, was built to protect the statue, which has been a beloved landmark in the area since 1892. But in an ironic twist, it was the globe that needed to be protected from the statue. Witnesses say the damage occurred when winds from a strong winter storm blew the plastic globe into the Greek god's wing or bow.