Thrapston WW1 memorial vandalism: Man arrested

The head of a silhouette of a World War One soldier was ripped off

A man has been arrested after a statue of a soldier at a war memorial was destroyed beyond repair, police have said.

The head of a silhouette of a World War One soldier at the memorial in Thrapston, Northamptonshire, was ripped off overnight on Thursday.

The man, 24, was arrested in Northampton on Sunday.

An online page has now raised about £4,500 for a replacement, after residents said they were "heartbroken".

The statue has stood by the memorial in Oundle Road, Thrapston, since 2018

The "silent soldier" was a piece created by the British Legion in 2018 to mark 100 years since the end of World War One.

As well as damage to the silhouette, flowers had been ripped from surrounding plant pots.

Flowers were also ripped from their plant beds

The campaign to raise £500 was set up on Friday morning but has since snowballed as the community rallied together.

A message on the Thrapston Town Council's Facebook page said: "We've been overwhelmed by the kindness shown."

Following the attack it had said it was "heartbroken to find that the silent soldier who stands over Thrapston's War Memorial has been irreparably damaged".

Town council clerk Linda Marshall said residents had been "outraged by the disrespectful behaviour" and the town council hoped to get it replaced as soon as possible.

Northamptonshire Police had said it was "clearly a very upsetting incident for the town".

Ray Jeffery MBE laid his 60th Remembrance Sunday wreath in a row in a ceremony at the memorial last weekend