London [UK], May 21: A masked man has attacked a statue on the front of the BBC's Broadcasting House in central London with a hammer and chisel. It comes days after repair work was started to the previously-attacked statue of Prospero and Ariel from Shakespeare's "The Tempest" by Eric Gill, who is said to have sexually abused two of his daughters. A man wearing a Spiderman mask was seen on scaffolding surrounding sculpture on Saturday. He had also strung up a banner criticising the corporation. He was described as a "masked protester" in a BBC Radio London news bulletin on Saturday. The statue has been on display at Broadcasting House since 1932 but was attacked last year amid calls for it to be removed.
The Metropolitan Police were called at around 4:15 am on Saturday to reports of a man climbing scaffolding at premises. The statue has previously been targeted with a hammer. On Tuesday, the BBC said after "careful consideration" taking into account the historical and cultural significance of the building and after discussions with leading cultural organizations such as Historic England, the repair work was agreed with all costs covered through the corporation's insurance and not the licence fee. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune
