Margaret Thatcher's statue has been vandalised for the second time in two weeks, after vandals used red-coloured graffiti to daub communist symbols on the memorial.

       The ￡300,000 sculpture of the former prime minister was attacked with eggs less than two hours after it was unveiled in Grantham, the town where she grew up, earlier this month.

       And on Saturday, the statue was targeted again when red paint was spilled over it, while a hammer and sickle - a symbol used on communist flags to show solidarity - was sprayed on fences surrounding the monument.

       In a statement released on Sunday, Lincolnshire Police confirmed it was treating the incident as criminal damage.

       A spokesman for the force said on Sunday: "Just before 11.15pm yesterday, we received reports of a person shown on CCTV acting suspiciously near the site.

       "Officers attended and found graffiti had been spray painted onto the barriers surrounding the statue, no damage was thought to have been caused to the statue itself.

       "This is being treated as criminal damage and an enquiry is ongoing."

       Peter Tully, who shared photos of the vandalism, described the statue was “controversial” and told Lincolnshire Live: "Support for the statue is 50-50 in Grantham, but in the country as a whole it's probably 70-30 against.”

       Wayne Dean, 52, a Grantham resident, added: "I never liked her but this vandalism is out of order. It's a shame. There's no need for it."

       On Thursday, Jeremy Webster was fined ￡90 for throwing eggs at the statue less than two hours after it was put up.

       Mr Webster, a deputy director at the University of Leicester's Attenborough Arts Centre, was pictured and filmed throwing the eggs shortly after the memorial's installation on May 15.

       Lincolnshire Police said they spoke with the 59-year-old and he was given a fixed penalty notice under Section 5 of the Public Order Act.