Anger as vandals target 18th Century monument again

Vandals have attacked an almost 300-year-old mausoleum for a second time, spraying graffiti across its façade.

An insult to the prime minister was daubed on the Dashwood Mausoleum, near West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

Community leaders and residents said they had been outraged by the latest vandalism, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Vicki Smith, chair of West Wycombe Parish Council, said the village was "furious" at the damage and "upset" for the Dashwood family.

The monument, which stands on the site of an Iron Age hill fort on West Wycombe Hill, was built in 1765 to house urns containing the ashes of the Dashwood family.

It was also defaced in July last year. Those repairs were expected to cost more than £2,000.

The outline of the earlier graffiti is still visible beneath the newly sprayed words.

A spokesperson for the West Wycombe Estate said it was working with conservation specialists to clean the stone.

They confirmed the monument remained open to visitors.

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