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Statue vandalism reward hits £2,000
n The reward swelled almost instantaneously thanks to a number of donations from people across Scarborough including MP Robert Goodwill, Cllr Tom Fox and Cllr Derek Bastiman, hypnotist Ken Webster, businessmen Jack Stephenson, Robert Breaks and Nick Ingham, former Army captain Tony Viney, the Residents and Friends of Trafalgar Square and an anonymous resident who single-handedly put forward £500.
A REWARD pot to catch vandals who damaged an iconic Scarborough steel statue has surged past the £2,000 barrier.
The paint attack on the Freddie Gilroy and the Belsen Stragglers sculpture sparked a huge public outpouring of disgust across the town, triggering a major cash incentive to catch the culprits.
The fund has been bolstered further by two more massive gestures .
Guilian Alonzi, who owns the Harbour Bar, in Sandside, has put £500 forward to help track down those responsible.
And Scarborough Rugby Club players have also agreed to scrum down and raise funds for the cause with a collection and donation of monies at their next home game.
Mr Alonzi, who read about the damage after arriving back from a trip to Italy, said: “Having just got back in England, I was absolutely devastated when I opened the newspaper.
“The statue is such an amazing gesture to the town that I just could not believe anyone would do that.
“I’m sure that the police will find out who it was and if it goes to court I hope the magistrates fully punish them.
“This was a gesture from an ordinary person in Mrs Robinson who loves the town and has real affection for it so for this to happen is disgraceful.”
Graeme Young, chief executive of Scarborough Rugby Club, confirmed players from the Silver Royd team were planning to help in their own unique way.
He said they were looking into converting their internal fines, dished out for light-hearted issues throughout the season, into a sum to donate to the reward pot.
He also added the club were looking into holding a collection at their next home game.
He added: “The players were horrified when they read what had happened.
“Something like this reflects very badly on the town.
“As a team, the lads travel all around Yorkshire and create a positive picture of Scarborough and paint it in a positive light.
“That is why something like this is so frustrating for everyone in Scarborough.”
The £50,000 statue, donated to Scarborough by Maureen Robinson in November last year, has now been cleaned by Scarborough Council.
However, bosses have warned it will take around six weeks for the sculpture to return to its recognised appearance due to the re-oxidation of the steel.
Jakki Willby, who started the campaign to keep the sculpture in Scarborough, said she was buoyed by the public reaction to the vandal attack.
She said: “The council did a fantastic job, their response was quick and well managed and they worked so hard all day to restore Freddie to his former glory.
“The public outrage and upset really hit home just how much Scarborough has taken Freddie into their hearts.”
Scarborough police confirmed they are still appealing for people to come forward with information about the vandalism.
Anyone with anything which could help the investigation is asked to call the new 101 number, select option two and ask for PC Alex Parker.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 9 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Vausey!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 03:30 PMIs there anyway we can make the Freddy statue vandal proof? The council successfully managed to do did it with the Rotunda's glass sign. Why cant we do it with Freddy?
Removed by Moderator
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 07:16 AM#7 your so right it will happen again just imagine if someone sawed off his head it would be ww3 in scarborough
Sir Elton John
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 11:25 PMI wish people would stop wittering on about this. The statue was a wonderful gift and yes it was a dreadful deed but the paint cleaned off very easily. The more fuss people make then the more of a target it will become. The statue will get doubtlessly get vandalised again anyway... and get cleaned again.. do we have to have all this froth every time?
TK
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 07:25 PM£2000 reward? In that case I DID IT!!! I'm off to hand myself in, get my slap on the wrist then i'm going to Mallorca for a couple of weeks! Hahahaha!!!!
guesticulate
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 05:12 PMIf it was some underclass , lowlife, street urchin, chav that did this , heshe would be boasting to all hisher mates by now. The lowlife mates would also be similar and when they saw the reward go over £20, they would shop the culprit to get the money for their next fix and some ciggies. There was a real motive behind this attack I feel. Someone with a grudge maybe?
Removed by Moderator
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 04:20 PMobviously whover did this was in a car parked up threw the paint put the paint in the car and drove off
Removed by Moderator
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 04:19 PM#2 this isnt the work of a kid it seems to organised theres no way a kid would carry a paint pot around with them when they could easily slip a spray can in there pocket it doesnt add up
baznpat
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 02:16 PMThis is what you get when you DRAG your children up and not bring them up. they don,t know the difference between right and wrong, what you should and should,nt do. Discipline..ever heard of it ? it worked right up to the seventies when the do bloody gooders decided not to smack children or punish them as not to breach their human rights. AND not allow teachers to do the same..before any of you so called do gooder muppets right in to say you should,nt smack your kids or tell them off "It,s just youth and their age" take a good look around at our society as it is today..a mess...no respect...no values...no manners..just people who put out their hands and get them filled with money without contributing anything back into society. Bring Back public flogging..the Birch..Or better still make the litlle scumbags clean it up..but then the do-gooders would have something to say about forcing them against their will to do it..When thay are caught lets get the evening news to interview the parents? that should be interesting, if they can string their words together and speak english!!
Mine was a Pint
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 10:47 AMIt's a shocking story, and one that the Evening News will no doubt constantly publish about over the coming weeks, but can we have articles that start with something a little better than "The reward swelled almost instantaneously"?
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