A Waltham Abbey statue based on the Augustinian monks that used to live in the Abbey has been sprayed with paint by yobs

The sculpture called "The Ancestor" was created to mark the 25th anniversary of of the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority in 1992.

The carved Oak statue which sits in Waltham Abbey Gardens was sprayed with white and peach coloured paint on Friday night (August 7).

Lee Valley Park Rangers were called to the site on Saturday morning to find the popular statue had been defaced.

The Ancestor, which is modelled on one of the Augustinian monks that used to inhabit the Abbey, was carved from a donated 9 foot Oak by Artist Helena Stylianides.

This is not the first time that it has been defaced, metal fencing pins were stabbed into the wooden statue on another occasion.

The local police have been informed of the incident and Lee Valley Regional Park rangers are currently trying to remove the paint without causing any damage to the artwork.

Lee Valley Regional Park are appealing to anybody who witnessed the damage or has any information relating to this event to contact them on 08456 770600.

They are also calling on the public to report any damage as it occurs by contacting the police or Parkguard, the security service patrolling the park on 07974 696931.