Pilgrim Woman statue vandalised with paint

The statue, by Nottinghamshire sculptor Rachel Carter, was daubed with paint

Vandals have defaced a statue commemorating the links between the town of Gainsborough and the Mayflower pilgrims.

The Pilgrim Woman, which was erected to represent the involvement of women in the voyage, was daubed with paint.

A spokesperson for West Lindsey District Council said the bronze sculpture had been cleaned and CCTV footage would be used to find the culprits.

A volunteer from the town’s Heritage Centre said vandalism devalued the town.

The statue marks the departure of a barge called The Francis from Gainsborough in May 1608.

A group of religious dissenters travelled on it to Stallingborough near Immingham and then on to the Netherlands.

Some of these separatists later sailed to America.

The first group sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 and became known as the Pilgrims.

The Pilgrim Woman was commissioned by West Lindsey District Council with funding from the Gainsborough Development Fund.

It was designed by Nottinghamshire sculptor Rachel Carter.

'Degrades the area'

Lynne-Marie Birkitt, from the Gainsborough Heritage Centre, said the graffiti devalued the town.

“You get an impression that the town does not care about its history," she said.

“It degrades the area and makes people avoid coming to Gainsborough.”

Lynne-Marie Birkitt, from the town’s Heritage Centre, said the graffiti was “really disappointing”

A spokesperson for West Lindsey District Council has said it was “disappointed” to see the statue vandalised.

"The statue has been cleaned and we will continue to check CCTV footage to gather information on the incident,” they said.

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