A £500 reward is being offered for information after a Scarborough statue was vandalised.

The statue, which is called Freddie Gilroy and the Belsen Stragglers, was covered in yellow paint in an attack last night.

A Scarborough Council graffiti removal team has been at the scene in Marine Drive since the break of dawn and is expected to remove all traces of the paint by the end of the day.

Local woman Maureen Robinson, who paid about £40,000 to buy the statue for Scarborough in November, is reported to have visited the scene this morning and wept as she witnessed the damage.

Police are appealing for anyone who saw any suspicious activity in the area of the statue last night or knows who is responsible to come forward.

Inspector Tony Quinn of Scarborough’s Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “The statue is much loved by people in the town and many residents are very angry about this mindless vandalism.

“The statue was kindly saved for the town by a local resident at considerable cost and the incident has deeply upset local people.

“We will do everything in our power to find those responsible and are seeking the help of members of the public to help find the suspects.”

The statue commemorates Freddie Gilroy, a former miner and one of the first soldiers to liberate Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

A police spokesman said he was aware of speculation that the act of vandalism - which happened just ahead of today’s Holocaust Memorial Day - could be anti-semetic but said that while police were considering all aspects there had been no suggestion of that so far.

Anyone with information is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Alex Parker.

Or, if you do not want to give your name, you can give information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.