A MAN has been charged with criminal damage after it was discovered the Fred Dibnah statue in Bolton town centre had been daubed with white paint.
Police arrested a 39-year-old-man at his home in Deane yesterday. He was questioned and subsequently charged with criminal damage.
He has been bailed until May 8 when he is due to appear before Bolton Magistrates Court.
On Saturday, police had appealed for information in The Bolton News and released CCTV pictures relating to vandalism of the statue in Bolton town centre in the early hours of April 18.
Sgt Paul Ellis, from the Bolton Central Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Following the appeal we had a very good response from the public, with a number of calls being taken on the Crimestoppers line.
“I would like to thank all those people who took the time to call us.”
The bronze eight-foot tribute to the Bolton-born steeplejack at the top of Oxford Street, where it meets Deansgate, was unveiled last year after a campaign by The Bolton News and the Civic Trust. Fred Dibnah died in 2004.
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