Police investigating damage done to the statue of a Bristol playwright have issued a photograph of a man they want to speak to in connection with the incident.
Detectives at Avon and Somerset police issued the image, which was taken by one of several local residents of a man at the bust of Alfred Fagon last week.
Witnesses said the man initially appeared to be cleaning or tidying the statue, but it later appeared to have had some kind of corrosive substance poured or smeared on it, causing damage which is being assessed by experts from Bristol City Council.
The incident happened in the week after the toppling of the statue of Edward Colston, and prompted fears it had been targeted as some kind of reprisal because Mr Fagon was a Jamaican-born actor and playwright who made his name on stage in Bristol and London, and lived in St Pauls.
Now, police have issued the image which was taken by one concerned eye-witness, who was unsure what the man was doing at the statue.
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset police said they wanted to identify and speak to the man to establish what he was doing there.
"Police investigating an incident which led to damage to a statue of Alfred Fagon in St Paul's, Bristol, have released an image of a man they would like to speak to," she said.
"Officers were made aware on Thursday, June 11 that an unknown substance had been used on the statue, causing damage.
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"We have had a number of calls with information about the incident, including from witnesses reporting that they believed someone had been trying to clean the bust."
Police are asking people who recognise the man in the image to call 101 or visitwww.avonandsomerset.police.uk/contact and quote reference 5220127432.
People can also call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
