Police in Belfast have appealed for witnesses after a statue of Queen Victoria was vandalised.
The statue sits in the grounds of the Belfast hospital complex named after the late monarch.
Republican group Lasair Dhearg posted a picture on social media on Friday afternoon appearing to show one of its supporters pouring red paint over the statue.
In an accompanying post, the group said “Belfast activists” had paid a visit to the “Famine Queen” – a reference to the Irish potato famine of the mid-19th century.
Whatever views individuals may hold about history or heritage, there is absolutely zero justification for targeting a healthcare facility in this manner
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