Pranksters' actions slammed as city statue is targeted
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AN historic Inverness landmark was targeted by traffic cone pranksters at the weekend, leading to local anger.
The tricksters – who no doubt thought their actions “highly conical” – struck some time on Saturday night.
The minister at the neighbouring Ness Bank Church hit out at the lack of respect for the Three Graces statues representing Faith, Hope and Charity, while others raised fears they could be damaged by such behaviour.
Rev Fiona Smith said: “We own Ness Bank Gardens where the statues are sited, but Highland Council is responsible for the maintenance.
“It is sad that some people think that statues are fair game for such treatment. These figures are iconic for the town and it is disrespectful.
“Visitors are always stopping to take photographs of the statues in such a pleasant setting. They are very much part of our city and should not be treated in such a way.
“The statues are not meant to be climbed upon and it is also dangerous in terms of people’s safety.”
Inverness Central councillor Bet McAllister said: “It is unbelievable, absolutely ridiculous. I was speaking to some town house staff who walk along the riverside on their lunch break and they were really quite cross about it.
“I imagine the culprits would be taking pictures on their phones after they did it, so let’s hope they are daft enough to put them on Facebook.”
Fellow ward councillor Janet Campbell said she hoped that adorning the statues with cones would not become a regular occurrence.
This was echoed by a council spokesman who said: “These statues were reinstated to the city with the support of the Inverness Common Good Fund as they are part of the city’s heritage, so it is hoped that this is an isolated incident and that they are treated with respect.”
Worshippers heading for Ness Bank Church spotted the cones on Sunday , and they were still there on Monday this week.
One woman who did not wish to be named, said: “I must admit it made me smile at first, but I wouldn’t want to see it become a regular practice.”
In Glasgow the council eventually gave up removing a cone from a city centre statue of the Duke of Wellington after pranksters proved determined to simply keep on returning it.
It has now become a featured “tourist attraction” in its own right, though similar hijinks involving a statue of former First Minister Donald Dewar, also in Glasgow city centre, led to that being placed on a higher, more difficult to climb plinth.
Inverness’s Three Virtues were sculpted by Andrew Davidson in the 1870s and for many years were a town centre landmark before being removed during redevelopment work and sold to a private collector.
About 15 years ago Highland Council reached a deal to bring them back to the city, and they were installed at their present riverside location in 2011.
