THE council has branded vandals as ‘cowardly’ after a commemorative statue honouring Newton-le-Willows’ Victoria Cross hero Norman Harvey was damaged.

The two-metre high structure was officially revealed at Mesnes Park’s remembrance garden this afternoon.

The ceremony followed a fitting service in honour of Norman at nearby St Peter’s Church.

Guests in attendance included around 80 members of Norman’s family including surviving daughter Geraldine, St Helens North MP Conor McGinn and local councillors.

The statue was made following a £100,000 fundraising effort launched by the Newton and Earlestown Community Group in 2016 to create the memorial to VC recipient Private Norman Harvey at Newton-le-Willows’ Mesnes Park.

Norman was 19 when he won his VC medal on October 25, 1918 for his actions in Ingoyhem, Belgium.

Despite his age, when Norman’s battalion was held up and suffering severe casualties from machine-gun fire, he ran forward and engaged the enemy single-handed, killing two, wounding one and capturing 12 men and two guns.

He later used a hidden machine-gun to put the enemy to flight. When night fell, he went out alone and gathered important information. Throughout these actions, Norman was limping as he had a sprained ankle.

In 2018 the statue was unveiled in his honour in Mesnes Park, and is often decorated for Remembrance Sunday events.

However over the weekend pictures were posted online showing the damage inflicted on the statue, including the Victoria Cross design being broken off the metal structure – despite being welded on.

Councillor Seve Gomez-Aspron, Deputy Leader of St Helens Borough Council and Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, said: “It’s quite telling of someone to cowardly vandalise a statue dedicated to the memory of a local hero who showed such bravely, paying the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

“The Norman Harvey VC statue and Remembrance Meadow mean a lot to so many in our community and we won’t let the actions of a mindless idiot deter us from delivering projects like this in our parks and open spaces - places for people to come and pay their respects to our fallen.

“Norman Harvey VC was the only person from Newton-le-Willows to ever be awarded the Victoria Cross - the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry - and we will ensure his legacy lives on by looking at having the medal replaced.”