Man assaults statue at BBC HQ with hammer and chisel
A
masked man has attacked a statue on the entrance of the BBC’s Broadcasting House in central London with a hammer and chisel.
It comes days after restore work was began to the previously-attacked Grade II listed statue, of Prospero and Ariel from Shakespeare’s The Tempest by Eric Gill, who is alleged to have sexually abused two of his daughters.
A person sporting a Spiderman masks seen on scaffolding surrounding sculpture on Saturday.
He had additionally strung up a banner criticising the company.
He was described as a “masked protester” in a BBC Radio London news bulletin on Saturday.
The statue has been on show at Broadcasting House since 1932 however was attacked final 12 months amid requires it to be eliminated.
The Metropolitan Police had been referred to as at round 4.15am on Saturday to stories of a person climbing scaffolding at premises in Portland Place.
A police spokesman mentioned: “The man was reportedly damaging a sculpture.
“Officers attended the location.
“It has not been possible to safely detain the man given the circumstances of the incident, including the height.
“Specialist officers have been called to the scene.”
The statue has beforehand been focused with a hammer.
On Tuesday, the BBC mentioned after “careful consideration” bearing in mind the historic and cultural significance of the constructing and after discussions with main cultural organisations akin to Historic England, the restore work was agreed with all prices lined via the company’s insurance coverage and never the licence payment.
Scaffolding went up across the constructing on Tuesday with professional stonemasons starting to revive the work, carved from Caen stone, a kind of limestone quarried in north-west France.
The broadcaster mentioned the restore work can be used to offer extra context in regards to the paintings and Gill, and that members of the general public would additionally have the ability to entry a QR code close by.
Robert Seatter, head of BBC History, mentioned: “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.”
Gill was among the many most distinguished sculptors of the twentieth century till his dying in 1940 however his diaries, printed a lot later, detailed the sexual abuse of his daughters.
A biography on the Tate museum web site mentioned: “His religious views and subject matter contrast with his sexual behaviour, including his erotic art, and (as mentioned in his own diaries) his extramarital affairs and sexual abuse of his daughters, sisters and dog.”
More than 3,000 folks have signed a petition demanding the removing of the sculpture on the web site of political activist group 38 Degrees.
The repairs had been set to be accomplished by the tip of June.