A statue of Margaret Thatcher has been egged just hours after it was unveiled. Watch here:
The monument was erected in Thatcher's hometown of Grantham, Lincolnshire, but within less than two hours, a man pelted eggs at it.
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Footage shows a man approaching the statue with a carton of eggs, before hurling them over a temporary fence surrounding the memorial.
Another man was at the scene wearing a T-shirt that read 'coal not dole', and police arrived within minutes of the egging.
A Lincolnshire Police spokesperson told LADbible: "We have received reports of criminal damage to the Margaret Thatcher statue shortly after 10am this morning (15 May).
"No arrests have been made. Enquiries are still ongoing."
A planning committee unanimously voted in favour of the £300,000 statue in February 2019, and it was originally intended for Parliament Square in Westminster.
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Reports originally presented to South Kesteven District Council showed the statue was moved to Thatcher's hometown over fears of a 'motivated far-left movement… who may be committed to public activism'.
Its unveiling was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but now the statue has been erected on a 10ft-high granite plinth.
After a large-scale £100,000 unveiling ceremony was previously approved by the council in 2020, a Facebook group proposing an 'egg-throwing contest' at the event attracted interest from more than 13,000 people.
A CCTV camera has been installed directly opposite the memorial to attempt to combat any threats of vandalism, the council said – though clearly the deterrent hasn't worked thus far.
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Before planning permission was given to the statue, the only marking of Baroness Thatcher in the town was a plaque on the corner of North Parade and Broad Street to show where she was born.
A council spokesman said the Public Memorials Appeal, which funded the monument through donations, will host an official unveiling ceremony at a later date.
Leader of South Kesteven District Council Kelham Cooke said 'we must never hide from our history', adding it is 'appropriate the debate that surrounds her legacy takes place here in Grantham'.
He said: "This memorial statue of the late Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven will be a fitting tribute to a truly unique political figure.
"Margaret Thatcher will always be a significant part of Grantham's heritage. She and her family have close ties with Grantham. She was born, raised and went to school here.
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"It is, therefore, appropriate that she is commemorated by her home town and that the debate that surrounds her legacy takes place here in Grantham.
"We must never hide from our history and this memorial will be a talking point for generations to come."
Thatcher was Conservative prime minister from 1979 to 1990, and was the first woman to hold the role. She died in 2013, aged 87.
Jake Massey