The statue of Lord Nelson which stands in the grounds of Norwich Cathedral has had fresh graffiti daubed upon it – just days after it was first defaced.
The face, chest and back of the figure had been targeted in the first attack on Saturday night.
Now, another piece of graffiti has been added to the statue in a second incident.
More black spray paint was used, with Nelson’s name crossed out and the word ‘DOWN’ added to the plinth.
A number of statues across the country have been defaced in recent weeks as Black Lives Matter protesters call for memorials to historical figures with links to racism and slavery to be removed.
While Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson is regarded as a hero by many, and is one of Norfolk’s most famous sons, he has become a controversial figure after it was suggested a letter read in parliament after his death revealed he was against a campaign to abolish slavery.
On Tuesday morning a statement from the dean and chapter of Norwich Cathedral said it was “committed to reviewing the place of historical figures memorialised”.
The dean and chapter regret the damage done to the statue of Admiral Lord Nelson on Saturday night. The damage has been reported to the police and to Norwich City Council, which owns and maintains the statue.
“As previously stated, Admiral Lord Nelson, although a national hero, was also like all of us flawed in some ways.”
Green Party councillor and spokesperson for equality and diversity Nannette Youssef said she did not condone the graffiti and called for the vandal to come forward, though stressed that “Green Party councillors fully support the Black Lives Matter movement.
A spokesman for the city council said: “We’ve asked our contractor to assess the damage to this Grade II-listed statue so we can see what options are available to us to inform our next steps. We will be working closely with Norwich Cathedral on what happens next.”
Police enquiries are ongoing.
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