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Pensioner caught on camera spraying ‘b*****d’ onto Thatcher statue

Police in Grantham, Lincolnshire have appealed for a pensioner to come forward and turn herself in, after she was caught spray-painting an expletive onto the statue of Margaret Thatcher in the town centre.

Pensioner caught on CCTV vandalising statue of Maggie Thatcher

Grantham is the birthplace of Margaret Thatcher, and in May 2022, officials unveiled a statue of the ‘Iron Lady’ here. It was then pelted with eggs just hours after being introduced to the public, leading to increased security measures being implemented.

However, nothing was able to stop this OAP with a grudge. In bright-red paint, the word ‘b*****d’ was sprayed onto the monument. It was scrubbed off shortly after it was first reported, but pictures have surfaced of the graffiti online.

ALSO READ: Watch – Eggs thrown at Margaret Thatcher statue, HOURS after its unveiling

Why does Grantham have a statue of Margaret Thatcher?

It’s believed that the statue itself cost something in the region of £300,000. In the middle of a cost of living crisis, that leaves a somewhat sour taste. It ended up in Grantham after plans to erect it in Parliament Square in London were rejected.

Thatcher’s divisive legacy as Prime Minister makes her statue an instant target for vandals. But this peed-off pensioner – wearing a white scarf and a black jacket – certainly doesn’t fit your standard description of a hoodlum.

Search for graffiti gran continues in Lincolnshire

This isn’t the first time a message has been etched onto the plinth either. Within the last two years, everything from a hammer and sickle icon to a ‘Tories Out’ declaration have been written underneath the statue.

No arrests have been made yet, and the hunt for the graffiti gran goes on. The statue was initially raised onto a three-metre plinth to prevent acts of vandalism from taking place, but the ‘slur’ – as it was described by police – was scrawled below regardless.

Tom

Tom has had a journalism career that's taken him across the world, and he specialises in the production digital content. With a keen interest in politics and current affairs, there's always something for him to write about...

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