Vandals have thrown what appears to be red paint over a statue of Queen Victoria in Sydney’s CBD.
Police were called to the Queen Victoria Building about 5.30am this morning to investigate reports of the monument outside being vandalised.
A photo sent in by a listener to the Ben Fordham Live on 2GB shows streaks of red paint across the base of the 3m high statue and on the bronze figure of the late Queen.
“It looks like red paint,” the listener called in to tell Fordham.
“I can see three police are guarding it at the moment…one police car right behind.”
NSW Police said a crime scene had been established and an investigation started.
The defacing of the statue comes during the five-day royal visit to Australia of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
The royal couple are expected to visit various sites in Sydney today including the Opera House.
The Queen Victoria statue was installed outside the front of the QVB during restoration work in the 1980s.
It depicts Queen Victoria seated on a bronze throne, atop a triangular sandstone pedestal.
