A vandal has destroyed the touching memorial put up in Slough High Street in November to commemorate the end of the First World War.

The silhouette of a Tommy was put up on a plinth as part of the ‘there but not there’ campaign to remember soldiers killed in the First World War as the 100 year mark was reached.

The metal outline of the soldier, complete with back pack and rifle, was bent and twisted by the vandals who reached up and grabbed the sculpture, leaving it at a right angle to the ground.

The warped metal was left in such a dangerous position that it has had to be cut from the five foot high stone plinth which now stands emp

The vandalism was caught on CCTV at 3.24am on Thursday, March 21 and the vandal was later seen ripping a tree sapling from the ground in Bath Road and wandering in and out of the gardens of homes in Ledgers Road, Chalvey.

Slough Borough Council has released the image of two men who may know something about the vandalism and were seen near the statue around the time of the incident and are asking local people to name them

The Mayor, Councillor Paul Sohal said the statue was used to flank the beacon lit by him on Remembrance Day 2018 when hundreds of names of Slough’s fallen were read out in a moving ceremony.The Mayor said: “This is a wanton act of vandalism on a statue that was not only beautiful and poignant but a symbol that Slough had not forgotten those people who had sacrificed their lives 100 years on.

“For someone to grab it, twist it and damage it beyond repair in a moment is just malicious idiocy and is a disgrace to the memory of all those who gave their lives.

“I hope someone comes forward and recognises the person in the images so police can speak to them about this and I hope the person responsible feels very ashamed of themselves for their actions.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting crime reference number 43190086624 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

There is a second Tommy silhouette which stands in The Curve.