Vandals of much-loved roadside giraffe 'fess up'

A well-known roadside giraffe sculpture that was seriously damaged by vandals is going to be rebuilt after the culprits confessed and agreed to pay for repairs.

The 2.4m (8ft) sculpture called Julian was placed beside the main road in Crowlas, Cornwall 10 years ago because its creator thought "the place needed livening up".

The giraffe was damaged by members of a local sports club on Saturday after a boozy night in the pub.

Now the perpetrators have spoken to creator Valerie Boakes and agreed to pay for repairs - she said she told them: "I hope you have learned your lesson".

Julian the giraffe is a well known landmark, peeking over the wall of a garden in the village of Crowlas on a busy stretch of the A30 near Penzance.

Valerie Boakes said: "I built him in a bit of a whim because the place needed livening up a bit.

"I'm not sure why he's so popular, I suppose it's unusual to see a giraffe on the main A30."

Boakes explained how Julian was attacked on Saturday night saying: "Some people from a local sports club were in the local pub and had a bit too much to drink and wanted to take Julian with them but sadly they snapped his head from his neck."

Boakes added: "When I first saw it I was really angry and upset about it but now I've had time to think about it and it's only a creation that's replaceable.

"I've had a lot of support on social media. I didn't really know how many people, locals and tourists, looked out for him but now he's totally demolished.

"A local person told me they knew who had done it then the manager of the sports team personally came out to see me and said that they were very, very sorry and that I will be reimbursed.

"The two of them phoned me up separately and fessed up, when I spoke to them they sounded like naughty schoolboys and I said to one of them 'I hope you've learned your lesson young man'."

Phillip Green runs the convenience shop opposite the giraffe, and said: "He means a lot to the people of Crowlas, it gives some character to the village and people are proud of it."

Green was one of the first people to see it when he turned up to open the shop on Sunday morning at 07:10 BST.

He added: "At first we just thought it was mindless vandals, and then we found out what actually happened, it's still mindless vandalism but it wasn't kids.

"They've admitted they were stupid and they're going to pay to have a new one made, I'm glad they owned up and won't have to be publicly humiliated."

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