Tintagel's Merlin carving suffers nose damage

The nose of the Merlin carving at Tintagel Castle has been damaged

A Merlin rock carving, which sparked a row over the "Disneyfication" of an historical site, has been damaged.

The artwork at Tintagel Castle, the legendary birthplace of King Arthur, was criticised for "commercialising" the landscape.

English Heritage, which commissioned the piece, said it was unsure whether the damage was "deliberate or natural".

Police are yet to confirm whether they are investigating any complaints of vandalism to the nose of the structure.

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The carving of Merlin was unveiled in February

Peter Glaser, a photographer based in north Cornwall, said: "It looks like somebody has put a chisel on it and given it a damn good whack."

English Heritage unveiled the carving by local craftsman Peter Graham in February, but the charity has since been accused by councillor Bert Biscoe of damaging the geology.

Mr Biscoe said he was "not sad" about the damage and would "not be surprised" if it was deliberate.

"People are extremely angry about the way English Heritage has marched in and done all of this", he said.

Alex Page from English Heritage, said "the carving has been immensely popular with the public since we unveiled it" and the organisation would be "disappointed" if it was a case of vandalism.