The depiction of Prospero and Ariel by sculptor Eric Gill outside the BBC the day after it was damaged with a hammer & graffiti, New Broadcasting House, London.13th January 2022. A man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage on 12th January 2022 after police were called to the scene amid reports of a man damaging a statue on a ledge. Eric Gill was among the most prominent sculptors of the 20th century but is said to have sexually abused two of his daughters. The BBC has said there are no plans to take down a statue outside its central London headquarters after it was defaced with a hammer. The statue has been on display at Broadcasting House since 1933, and the corporation defended its decision not to remove or replace the work. A statement from the BBC said: "The statue at the front of old Broadcasting House is a representation of Prospero and Ariel from Shakespeare's The Tempest. Prospero is shown sending Ariel out into the world." ? Elliott Franks / eyevine