Stonehenge vandalised

by Rob Peters | May 22, 2008 at 03:50 pm

610 views | 0 Recommendations | 8 comments

Two men were spotted taking a sizeable souvenir from Stonehenge.

Apparently people used to take home chunks of the 'henge all the time, but it's been a no-no for a few decades now. The crooked chisellers are still at large.

Suspected souvenir hunters broke into Stonehenge and vandalised the ancient monument, English Heritage said today.

Two men used a hammer and screwdriver to chip away at the Heel Stone - a 16ft (4.8m) megalith at the 5,000-year-old site - before they were spotted by security guards and chased away.

The vandals managed to hack off a small 10p-sized piece from the sarsen stone. The two men got away in a red Rover 400.

The incident is thought to be the first act of vandalism at the world-renowned site for decades.

A spokeswoman for English Heritage said: "Thanks to the vigilance and quick action of the security team at Stonehenge, very minimal damage was caused to the Heel Stone at Stonehenge.

English Heritage said the men may have been after a souvenir from the prehistoric landmark. This was once a legitimate practice and guides would even hand out chisels to visitors.

The raiders struck at around 10pm on May 15 but news of the offence has only just been released.

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jermickey@sbcglobal.net

at 12:05 on May 23rd, 2008

The day we were at Stonehenge, there were people doing research on the blue stones in the middle of the ring. That is why you see individuals inside of the ropes.

jermickey@sbcglobal.net has contributed a photo to this story.

jesstherese

at 13:27 on May 23rd, 2008

Ever since I first heard of its existence I wanted to understand what Stonehenge stands for. On a road trip to Newquay, before I knew it, we were driving by the ancient monument. Now I've seen it - but I didn't pay enough attention. I need to go back.

jesstherese has contributed a photo to this story.

iammai

at 15:03 on May 23rd, 2008

This photo was taken on 1 May 2008, before the vandalism took place.

iammai has contributed a photo to this story.

crushingpretty

at 18:51 on May 23rd, 2008

The photo I took was only a few days before the vandalism took place. I didn't see anything suspicious, however. It was just a beautiful day.

crushingpretty has contributed a photo to this story.

drkdod208

at 18:55 on May 23rd, 2008

Stonehenge is a simply amazing place. It's very unique and intreaguing. I had always wanted to go there, and finally being there was really really cool.

ddodson208 has contributed a photo to this story.

Amy Judd

at 16:18 on May 24th, 2008

I actually have a piece of Stonehenge as I first visited it when I was really young and you could still walk around and touch it. I took my piece off the ground though, but now I feel quite guilty about it...

jo92

at 17:29 on May 24th, 2008

I was a university student on my first visit. No tourist centre, no fences, no fee, just an open field and a flock of sheep for company.
How things have changed! Sadly people can't be trusted so the security is essential for the protection of the stones.

zanii

at 08:01 on May 26th, 2008

Didn't have idea there is an entrance and fence around the Stones. The touristic scene kind of contrasting the mystery of Stonehenge itself. It's a shame that people cannot be trusted.

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