This is part of the damage caused to York Minster by a pair of vandals.
Two men climbed the scaffolding on the Minster and hurled an oak door off the edge, destroying a gargoyle.
Police believe there is video footage of the incident circulating on social media, and are appealing for anyone who has seen it to get in touch.
The vandalism happened on Friday (31 July) between 1.30am and 5am.
Two male suspects entered the West End Gardens in the early hours of the morning and used ladders to climb the scaffolding of the North West Tower.
They threw items from the scaffolding area then continued onto the roof, causing damage to property including removing access doors to the tower.
Police believe they threw an oak entrance door off the roof which has hit a gargoyle, breaking the masonry causing the gargoyle to fall to the ground.
A spokeswoman for York Minster said: “The incident is the subject of an ongoing investigation by North Yorkshire Police.”
Descriptions issued
CCTV shows that at 4.55am both men climbed down from the scaffolding, and one appeared to be videoing the gargoyle on the ground before leaving the scene, climbing over the locked fence and heading in the direction of Ogleforth at 5am.
A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: “A police investigation is ongoing. We are requesting the public’s assistance to help establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
“In particular, we are appealing for information about possible sightings of both men involved and any online footage which may have been shared by those involved.”
The first man is described is
- white
- in his late teens or early twenties
- wearing a black tracksuit
- a blue baseball cap
- and black trainers with a white sole.
The second man is described as
- white
- in his late teens or early twenties
- wearing a dark hooded top
- black tracksuit bottoms
- and black trainers with white socks.
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should contact North Yorkshire Police.
How to help the police
Call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Claire-Louise Viney | |
Contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via the website |
Email Claire-Louise Viney here | |
Quote reference number 12200130805 |