Grimsby man charged with criminal damage after Lincoln Imp vandalised

Grimsby man charged with criminal damage after Lincoln Imp vandalised

A 45-year-old man from Grimsby has been charged by Lincolnshire Police for vandalising a Lincoln Imp statue on the High Street in Lincoln.

The incident took place on Saturday night in which the Lincoln City FC imp, which sat close to Poundland, had much of its top part broken off the podium it stood on.

Stewart Tomlinson of Hainton Avenue, Grimsby, was charged with criminal damage and bailed to appear at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on 16 September.

This comes after police identified him from the CCTV footage of the incident and arrested him the same night.

In response, St Barnabas Hospice took to social media with a statement about the vandalism.

A spokesperson wrote: “We are very sad to see that another imp statue has been damaged overnight. This is upsetting for the artist, sponsor and everyone who has taken time and effort to bring the trail to the city.

“We hope this imp statue can be fixed in time for the reunion event at the Castle and the auction, of which all proceeds will be donated to us, St Barnabas Hospice.

“The statues have not only brought joy and entertainment for thousands of local people and visitors to the city of Lincoln, but offered an opportunity to support more people in Lincolnshire with compassionate, end of life care.

“We hope the person responsible is found and understands their actions may impact the amount raised for the hospice.”

A spokesperson from Lincoln Police said: “We are very sad to report that yet another imp statue has been damaged overnight. We already have a suspect in custody.

“So much hard work and effort goes into creating these wonderful pieces of art and we fully understand the frustration and distress this will create for our community.”