The Corsham Lion has been damaged again, less than a year after it was attacked by drunken vandals.

The sculpture in the Martingate shopping centre, which was painted gold last year in honour of the London Olympics, has become damaged after a crack appeared in its stone plinth.

The base of the sculpture was previously damaged by drunken vandals last October, who came forward to the police after CCTV images appeared in the Wiltshire Times.

Sue Witts, owner of the nearby Toy Box toy shop, said: “It’s just a crack across the base, the lion itself is fine.

“We’re trying to think of a way to make the base more permanent because what it’s made of is quite crumbly, and very easy to break.”

Despite suggestions in the town of further vandalism, Corsham police are not treating it as suspicious.

PC Hazel Anderson said: “We’re not treating it as criminal damage, we just think it’s because people have been getting on its back so many times.”