Charity could lose £10,000 after vandals wreck sheep statues in Maidstone.

A charity stands to lose around £10,000 after two statues were damaged in Maidstone.

Kent Police is now seeking help to locate the suspects.

Between 10pm and 10.20pm on Sunday 18 August 2024, two of the Shaun the Sheep statues in the Heart of Kent Hospice’s charity trail were damaged beyond repair.

Officers believe the two incidents to be connected and an investigation into the circumstances is underway.

The statues, which were hand-painted by local artists and due to be sold in an annual charity auction, were damaged in Brenchley Gardens and Fremlin Walk.

The two of the Shaun the Sheep sculptures have been so severely damaged that they had to remove them permanently.

Erica Snow, Project Manager, said: "We are absolutely heartbroken. Sadly, we know, through CCTV footage, that both the ‘Shikki Shaun’ sculpture which was positioned in the balcony area of Fremlin Walk and ‘Cherry’ Shaun sculpture positioned in Brenchley Gardens were damaged deliberately.

"The severity of the damage means that neither sculpture can remain on the trail and at this stage we know that Cherry is completely unrepairable.

"There are only a few weeks to go to the end of the trail and we’ve had such amazing engagement from everyone involved.

"Maidstone Borough Council and One Maidstone have been brilliant and have supported the trail throughout.

"We’re just so sad to see this type of damage occur.

“We would like to reiterate that these sculptures have been lovingly hand-painted by artists and their purpose, as well as to bring joy to people visiting them over the summer holidays, is to raise funds for Heart of Kent Hospice and our services to this community.”

• ITV Meridian covered the launch of the trail. Watch Tony Green's report

It is reported three males took turns to kick the statue in Fremlin Walk before pushing it over and leaving the scene on foot towards Week Street.

One is described as Asian, with short dark hair. He was wearing a black t-shirt with a small circular white logo, black trousers and black boots.

The two other males are both described as white with dark hair cut short on the sides and longer on the top.

One was wearing a grey hooded top and black shorts while the other was wearing a black long-sleeved polo neck top and dark blue jeans with a rip in one of the knees.

All three were of an athletic build and thought to be in their mid to late teens, or early 20s.

Anyone with information, private CCTV, or dashcam footage who may have been in the area at the time, should call the west Kent appeals line on 01622 604100 quoting reference 46/139972/24.

You can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or complete the online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...