The statue paying tribute to Jamaican-born pioneering nurse Mary Seacole has been attacked in a “disgraceful act of vandalism”.
The Met Police are investigating the vandalism of the monument outside Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospital in south London.
Red and orange paint was thrown over the statue with graffiti daubed on its plinth as well.
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green MP Florence Eshalomi appealed to the public to help fund repairs, saying: “This is a disgraceful act of vandalism, after so much work to ensure Mary Seacole’s legacy is honoured.
“I am proud to have this in the heart of my constituency, with so many people visiting the gardens & statue.”
The memorial statue, which the Mary Seacole Trust raised money to install it in 2016, is thought to be the UK's first to honour a named black woman.
The Mary Seacole Trust said it believed the damage was racially motivated however the Met said it was not being treated as such, but enquiries were continuing.
Trust chair Trevor Sterling said: “This is an example of the paucity of education amongst those who are racially motivated and the plethora of ignorance.
“We need to improve the dialogue and understanding about what being British is and what being British means, as well as understanding the contribution of those from diverse backgrounds through time, which is what has made Britain, Britain.
“Mary Seacole is a symbol of the NHS, diversity, and social justice, and her contributions were of real value this country. I hope that this will highlight the need to enhance education on the subject of what being British means and who the British really are.”
