Children who were given crayons to occupy them during a museum visit apparently ended up scrawling all over a 230-year-old statue, leaving the National Trust ‘dismayed’

It’s believed that children given crayons as part of a museum activity pack decided to add their own personal touches to a statue of historic significance, scribbling all over it.

Dismaying photos show blue crayon scribbles all over the face, limbs, and torso of the beautiful 230-year-old statue, which depicts the Roman Naiade, Sabrina.

The statue, which was sculpted by John Bacon, is located in the gardens of Croome Court, a striking mid-18th-century Neo-Palladian mansion situated amid extensive landscaped parkland in south Worcestershire.

It’s understood that crayons were given out to families in activity packs distributed over the Easter period, and that a memorial to renowned gardener and landscape architect Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown was also defaced on April 8.

In a statement shared by the Museums Association, a National Trust spokesperson said: “We were dismayed that this happened and the team at Croome was understandably upset at the discovery.”

They continued: “The incident has required the time and consultation of conservators as well as of the garden and outdoor manager who cleaned the statue and memorial.

“Fortunately, the property was able to remove the crayon from the statue without the help of external cleaners or expensive specialist materials.”

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It’s understood that trials will be conducted in order to figure out the best methods for restoring the memorial of Capability Brown, with efforts said to be still ongoing.

A spokesperson told BBC News: “The trail had been running for seven days and hundreds of families had completed the trail without incident.”