'Spider-Man' scales BBC headquarters and attacks controversial statue with hammer
A man wearing a Spider-Man mask scaled the BBC's Broadcasting House in London this weekend to deface a controversial statue standing outside.
The suspect was arrested on Saturday (20 May) after hitting the statue by disgraced sculptor Eric Gill with a hammer and chisel.
This incident marks the second time that the statue of Prospero and Ariel has been attacked since it was erected in 1931.
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The carving of Prospero and Ariel, from Shakespeare's play The Tempest, was installed outside the BBC Broadcasting House back in 1933.
It has been seen as particularly controversial as Eric Gill, a prominent British artist from the early 20th century.
Diary entries were published following his death in 1940 which described sexual acts with his daughters and his family dog.
Since that discovery, there have been calls from protestors and sexual abuse charities for the statue at the Regent Street entrance of BBC's HQ to be removed.
Met Police were called to the scene at around 4.15am on Saturday morning after receiving reports of a man who had climbed the scaffolding surrounding the statue and was damaging the work.
There were reports that the man, who concealed his face with the superhero mask, repeatedly shouted down at police officers on the ground.
Met Police confirmed that the man was eventually brought down shortly after 6pm that evening.
He has since been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, and will be taken into police custody.
This isn't the first time someone has taken it upon themselves to physically deface the statue.
Last January, a protester scaled the building and took a hammer to the Eric Gill work.
As a result, the statue had been surrounded by scaffolding as repair work was done to repair the statue.
The restoration was originally scheduled to wrap up on June 19, with the addition of a QR code for people to scan that would offer context about the statue and its history.
Announcing the decision at the time Robert Seatter, head of BBC History stated: "Broadcasting House is a building of historical and cultural significance and one of the foundations of modern-day broadcasting, both in this country and around the world.
"We have a responsibility to maintain and preserve the building for generations to come.
"Alongside this, Gill’s abusive behaviour and lifestyle are well documented and the BBC in no way condones his behaviour.
"So while it is right that the fabric of the building is restored, we must also ensure people are fully informed about the history connected to it."
Still, there was some backlash to the decision to restore the statue, with calls for it to be removed altogether, given the controversy surrounding the artist.
The BBC has stated this incident is a matter for the Met Police and emergency services.
LADbible has contacted the corporation for additional comment.
Ali Condon