A man who threw eggs at a statue of former prime minister Baroness Thatcher has been told "it's no yolk" by his mother-in-law.
Jeremy Webster, 59, was pictured throwing eggs at the statue in the late prime minister’s home town of Grantham shortly after its unveiling on Sunday.
A cry of “oi” could be heard after one connected with the lower part of the monument.
In February 2019, a planning committee unanimously voted in favour of the £300,000 statue – which was originally intended for Parliament Square in Westminster.
Reports originally presented to South Kesteven District Council showed the statue was moved to the area due to fears of a “motivated far-left movement… who may be committed to public activism”.
The University of Leicester which, MailOnline said, is understood to employ Mr Webster as deputy head of its Attenborough Arts Centre, said it "takes any act of defacement extremely seriously" and would address the matter. A video of the incident showed that he threw three eggs, missing with two but striking the 20ft monument – which stands on a 10ft granite plinth installed in an attempt to deter vandals – with one of the missiles.
Relative Yvonne Barnes, 87, quoted in the MailOnline, said: "Margaret Thatcher lasted a long time in power. She was a trailblazer as the first woman prime minister and she had such energy, even though I know she slept very little. I’m very surprised to hear about all of this (egg throwing). I’m going to have to call my daughter. I wouldn’t have thought Jeremy would be the sort of person to do this. It seems very childish to me – he has a responsible job."
Leader of South Kesteven District Council Kelham Cooke said: “We must never hide from our history”, adding it was “appropriate the debate that surrounds her legacy takes place here in Grantham”.
Mr Webster is secretary of his wife Denise Barnes’ Lincoln-based arts business, while he is listed as director of the Arts Council-funded arts centre at the University of Leicester.
Kerry Law, of the University of Leicester, told MailOnline: "The university has a long-standing history of supporting art, fostering creativity and protecting creative freedom. It does not condone any form of defacement and takes any act of defacement extremely seriously. This matter will be addressed in line with the university’s own procedures."
An Arts Council spokesman told the publication: "Acts of alleged criminal damage are a matter for the police to investigate."
Lincolnshire police received a report of criminal damage but said that nobody had yet been arrested or spoken to.
According to MailOnline, on Sunday Mr Webster had tweeted: "Grantham unveils Thatcher statue, so guess where we are going?’ He later said on Instagram that it had been "the first hit with an egg".
Mrs Barnes, who lives in Axminster, Devon, with husband Keith, 83, apparently did not realise Mr Webster was the man who targeted the statue. She told the publication: ‘Nobody likes people at the top of government. It’s the way it goes, but I didn’t realise Jeremy had a strong dislike of Mrs Thatcher."
