Four charged after toppling of Edward Colston statue

Four people have been charged with criminal damage after a statue of Edward Colston was thrown into Bristol Harbour in June.

The Crown Prosecution Service has charged 29-year-old Rhian Graham, 25-year-old Milo Ponsford, 32-year-old Jake Skuse and 21-year-old Sage Willoughby.

The four are all due to appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court on January 25.

The statue of 17th-century slave trader Colston was toppled on June 7 during a Black Lives Matter protest.

It was later recovered from the water by Bristol City Council and assessed to have £3,750 worth of damage.

The statue has since been taken to a secret location to be cleaned and restored. It is set to go on display in a museum to educate future generations about Bristol's past.

Police decided not to intervene at the time, but later released CCTV footage and other pictures and video in an appeal to identify those responsible.

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