Aylesbury's David Bowie statue vandalised for second time
A statue of David Bowie has been vandalised for the second time in six months.
In May the bronze sculpture was defaced 48 hours after it was unveiled in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire - the town where Bowie debuted Ziggy Stardust. On Wednesday it was sprayed with blue paint, hours after it had been professionally cleaned and waxed. Music promoter David Stopps, who raised £100,000 for the statue, said the vandalism was "so upsetting". "Bowie fans are coming from all over the world to see the statue and this really doesn't do justice to the thousands of local people that supported this project," he said. Mr Stopps said the statue, entitled Earthly Messenger, will be "restored to its former glory as soon as possible". A vandal spray-painted "feed the homeless first" in front of the statue in May. Money to create the work was raised through grants and a £100,000 crowdfunding appeal. Bowie first performed as his Stardust persona and debuted two albums at gigs at the Friars music venue in the early 1970s. The statue was designed by sculptor Andrew Sinclair and features a likeness of Bowie in 2002 regarding a selection of his alter egos down the years, with Ziggy at the front. Speakers mounted above the life-size piece play a Bowie song from a wide selection every hour.