Margaret Thatcher statue pelted with eggs hours after being unveiled

A statue of Margaret Thatcher was battered with eggs within hours of being erected in the former prime minister’s home town.

The statue of Britain’s first female leader was attacked after it was lowered into place in Grantham, Lincolnshire, amid boos from passing motorists.

A temporary fence erected around the monument failed to deter a protester who hurled four eggs in its direction.

Egg residue and a fragment of shell could be seen on the statue’s lower half.

Officers arrived at the scene within minutes of the incident and although no arrests were made, Lincolnshire Police said they had received a report of criminal damage.

“We have received reports of criminal damage to the Margaret Thatcher statue shortly after 10am this morning (May 15),” a spokeswoman for the force said.

“No arrests have been made.

“Inquiries are still ongoing.”

The statue was erected on a three-metre-tall granite plinth on Sunday morning. Its unveiling had been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

A CCTV camera has been installed opposite the memorial to discourage vandalism, said South Kesteven District Council.

In February 2019, the local authority’s planning committee unanimously voted in favour of the £300,000 statue – which was originally intended for Parliament Square in Westminster, London.

Reports originally presented to the council showed the statue was moved to the area due to fears of a “motivated far-left movement… who may be committed to public activism”.

A £100,000 ($122,641) unveiling ceremony was approved by local politicians in 2020. But a Facebook group proposing an “egg-throwing contest” at the event attracted interest from more than 13,000 people.

About 2,400 people visited the Facebook page to say they would attend the event, at which “egg throwing … and potentially graffiti art” were said to be activities.

Thatcher died in 2013. The former Conservative party leader was prime minister of the UK from 1979 to 1990.