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Vandals attack Churchill statue Vandals attack Churchill statue
(about 4 hours later)
A statue of Sir Winston Churchill has been attacked by vandals.A statue of Sir Winston Churchill has been attacked by vandals.
Red paint was streaked across the stone plinth on which the statue stands in Parliament Square, central London.Red paint was streaked across the stone plinth on which the statue stands in Parliament Square, central London.
The Metropolitan Police said the incident, which was reported on Sunday afternoon, was being treated as criminal damage.The Metropolitan Police said the incident, which was reported on Sunday afternoon, was being treated as criminal damage.
The statue was famously attacked during anti-capitalist demonstrations in 2000 when protesters put a turf "Mohican" on its head.The statue was famously attacked during anti-capitalist demonstrations in 2000 when protesters put a turf "Mohican" on its head.
Worthing West Tory MP Peter Bottomley, who spotted the damage on his way to the Commons, said he was "disappointed" at the attack.
"I was surprised and upset. I am just glad they got the base and not the statue itself," he said.
He predicted there was enough CCTV in the area to have captured the incident to discover whether "it was political or just someone throwing red paint".
Sir Winston was named the greatest Briton of all time in a nationwide poll in 2002.Sir Winston was named the greatest Briton of all time in a nationwide poll in 2002.