North Tyneside Council say they are "heartbroken" after the famous Wooden Dolly figurine in North Shields was "badly" vandalised.
The council said repairing the damage would "not be an easy fix" and is likely to take "a few months", adding that the vandalism was "extremely disappointing" following recent restoration of the Wooden Dolly.
The statue, depicting a fishwife with a basket, was restored in 2020 after more than 60 years standing in the centre of Northumberland Square. But it will now need to be removed again for the work to be completed following vandalism.
