This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/wiltshire/7414491.stm
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Vandals in attack at Stonehenge | Vandals in attack at Stonehenge |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Suspected souvenir hunters broke into Stonehenge and vandalised the ancient monument, English Heritage has said. | Suspected souvenir hunters broke into Stonehenge and vandalised the ancient monument, English Heritage has said. |
| A hammer and screwdriver were used to take a small chip the size of a 10p piece from the side of the Heel Stone. | A hammer and screwdriver were used to take a small chip the size of a 10p piece from the side of the Heel Stone. |
| English Heritage said further damage was prevented by security guards who spotted the two men at the 5,000-year-old site in Wiltshire. | English Heritage said further damage was prevented by security guards who spotted the two men at the 5,000-year-old site in Wiltshire. |
| Police believe the vandals could be the same two people caught on CCTV acting suspiciously a few days earlier. | Police believe the vandals could be the same two people caught on CCTV acting suspiciously a few days earlier. |
| English Heritage said souvenir hunting was once a legitimate practice and chisels used to be handed out to people visiting the stones. | English Heritage said souvenir hunting was once a legitimate practice and chisels used to be handed out to people visiting the stones. |
| We would be interested in anyone who may have taken photographs of this incident Wiltshire Police | |
| The recent act of vandalism which happened on the evening of 15 May at about 2200 BST is thought to be the first attack on the site for many years. | The recent act of vandalism which happened on the evening of 15 May at about 2200 BST is thought to be the first attack on the site for many years. |
| A spokesman from Wiltshire Police said, "Damaging an ancient monument is a serious offence and we take this type of damage extremely seriously. We are determined to identify the offenders and bring them to justice. | |
| "As this is a tourist area we would also be interested in anyone who may have taken photographs of this incident." | |
| Archaeologists are currently excavating the World Heritage Site to discover more about its origins. The last time an excavation was allowed inside the stone circle was in 1964. | Archaeologists are currently excavating the World Heritage Site to discover more about its origins. The last time an excavation was allowed inside the stone circle was in 1964. |
| The current dig is a major research excavation to investigate the bluestones. These smaller stones made up part of the prehistoric monument alongside the sarsen stones. | The current dig is a major research excavation to investigate the bluestones. These smaller stones made up part of the prehistoric monument alongside the sarsen stones. |
| Stonehenge has remained open as normal and visitors will be able to observe up close the excavation as it happens on plasma screens inside a special marquee. | Stonehenge has remained open as normal and visitors will be able to observe up close the excavation as it happens on plasma screens inside a special marquee. |