Vandals damage Waimate statue

An act of "stupidity" saw the iconic Bushtown statue in Waimate moved from its pew over the weekend.

On Saturday night a group allegedly removed the statue, leaving it lying damaged in the area.

Waimate Constable Rebecca Aitchison said it seems the statue took a lot of wriggling and force to get off.

The incident happened on Saturday night, between 10pm and 11pm.

Waimate District Council Mayor John Coles said he was disappointed someone in the community liked "wrecking things". He would like to see the offenders pay for the reconstruction of the statue.

The mayor said he was disappointed that the fundraising and efforts by Pro-ject Waimate were damaged.

The Waimate Police are interested in talking to anyone who has information or saw people in the area between 10pm and 11pm on Saturday night.

If you have any information, phone 03 689 7272.