Man in Spiderman mask scales BBC headquarters and attacks controversial Eric Gill statue with hammer
A man wearing a Spiderman mask has scaled the BBC’s headquarters in London and attacked a controversial statue by the paedophile artist Eric Gill with a hammer.
The Prospero and Ariel statue has been on display at the BBC since 1933.
Campaigners have called for the statue to be removed because Gill admitted sexually abusing his daughters in his diaries, which were later published.
The Metropolitan Police were called to the BBC headquarters in the early hours of Saturday morning after being alerted to reports of a man who had climbed scaffolding and was damaging a sculpture.
A police spokesperson said: “It has not been possible to safely detain the man given the circumstances of the incident, including the height. Specialist officers have been called to the scene.”
By 7am on Saturday, the man could be seen leaning against some scaffolding while wearing a Spiderman mask and shouting at a police officer.
A police cordon was put in place, with parts of Regent Street and the front of New Broadcasting House taped off.
This is the second time the statue has been targeted.
The Grade II-listed statue was attacked and damaged by a man with a hammer in January 2022 . The BBC’s decision to restore it was met with fury by child sexual abuse campaigners.
Gill, who died in 1940, wrote about the persistent abuse of his children in his diaries, alongside an incestuous relationship with his sister and sexual activity with the family dog.
Following the publication detailing Gill’s abuse in Fiona MacCarthy’s 1989 biography, there have been increased calls for the removal of his public artworks.
The statue at the BBC depicts Ariel and Prospero from William Shakespeare‘s The Tempest. It stands above an entrance to Broadcasting House.
The repairs are being funded by insurance payments and are being carried out by expert stonemasons.
The head of BBC History, Robert Seatter, said: “Gill’s abusive behaviour and lifestyle are well documented and the BBC in no way condones his behaviour.
“So while it is right that the fabric of the building is restored, we must also ensure people are fully informed about the history connected to it.”
The entrance to the BBC was temporarily shut on 9 May while repairs were made to the statue. Work was expected to be completed by 19 June, the BBC stated at the time.
