IMAGES which show the moment Bolton’s Fred Dibnah statue was defaced by a vandal have been released by police.

Officers spent hours trawling through footage taken on CCTV cameras near the statue in a bid to trace the person responsible.

The pictures show a cyclist riding up to the statue in the town centre at 6am last Saturday and getting off his mountain bike before climbing up on to the plinth to spray white paint on the legs of the sculpture.

He then rides away, only to return moments later to spray more white paint on the face of the statue.

The white man, in his late 30s or early 40s, then rides away.

Police are now appealing for anyone who recognises the man to turn him in.

The CCTV cameras captured the vandal defacing the 8ft tribute to the Bolton-born steeplejack at the top of Oxford Street, where it meets Deansgate.

The man, who has short dark hair, is wearing a dark patterned jacket and grey trousers with a grey or reflective stripe on the back of both calves.

He was also wearing a distinctive florescent rucksack on his back and was riding a grey or silver mountain bike with a small bag under the seat.

A video of the CCTV images of the vandalism attack can be seen on this website. Anyone with information about the incident should call Bolton Central Neighbourhood Policing Team on 0161 856 5619 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, 0800 555 111.