Man defaces iconic statue at BBC HQ

An iconic statue at the BBC’s famous Broadcasting House is at the centre of a new controversy after a man climbed scaffolding to protest by attacking it with a hammer and chisel.

Metropolitan Police were alerted to an incident at Broadcasting House at Portland Place in central London on Saturday, May 20, at around 4:15 am, when a man was seen taking a hammer to its now infamous statue, according to a report from The Evening Standard.

The Spiderman-mask-wearing protester is believed to be David Chick, who damaged the statue over a year ago.

The protester mounted a banner and also daubed graffiti on the walls of the BBC building, criticising them for corruption, harbouring paedophiles, and protecting elites.

The Prospero and Ariel statue, in place since 1933, has been targeted because its sculptor, the now disgraced Eric Gill, was later exposed as a paedophile who preyed on his own daughters, and even his dog.

Other messages of protest include: ‘BBC Nonce Factory’ and ‘Saville, Hall, Harris, Glitter and on, and on.’

The Met Police issued a statement: ‘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.’

This latest attack follows an announcement from the BBC that the statue was due to be restored, which many campaigners feel is insulting and sends out the wrong message.