A two-metre tall goose statue – the mascot for an annual fair – has been vandalised with the St George’s Cross.
A red cross was spray painted across the front of Goosey the Goose, who sits on a roundabout in Nottingham to promote the city’s Goose Fair.
Nottinghamshire Police are appealing for information about the culprit. They believe the vandalism happened on 3 September around 9.30pm.
Goosey weighs about quarter of a tonne and is made from fibreglass and timber.
The flying of Union and St George’s Cross flags across towns and cities has followed an online campaign called Operation Raise the Colours.
Police constable Lindsey Webster, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Goosey is an iconic mascot for the fair and we want to find whoever is responsible for vandalising the statue.
“We believe a number of vehicles will have passed the area around this time and so would urge anyone with a dashcam to review their footage for anything which could assist. Likewise, anyone who witnessed anything suspicious should get in touch.
“We know a number of buses travelled past the roundabout as well so if you were a passenger and spotted anything please contact officers.”
A spokesperson for Nottingham City Council said the painting on Goosey was “a step too far”.
They said: “Goosey has been an iconic figure in the city for many years, a staple of the annual calendar in Nottingham.
“Whilst the council has made its position in relation to the St George’s flag clear, painting this on Goosey is a step too far.
“As the council announced last week, Nottingham has the largest St George’s flag in the country which we fly with pride on days of national celebration, but we cannot condone the misuse of the flag, or vandalism, and will remove flags where there is reason to do so, where they are causing an obstruction or other safety issue or if offensive language has been used.”
Anyone with any information is asked to call 101, quoting incident number 25000522288.
