A statue of a dog cast from Wellington boots, which was part of a £30,000 installation, has been decapitated over the weekend in Redruth.

It appears that someone took two attempts at removing the dogs head from the rest of its body as they went into the town on Friday night and cut their way through its neck and then returned on Saturday to finish the job with what the police say could have been a hacksaw or something similar.

The letters CNLA were also scrawled in black marker pen on the dog and surrounding granite slabs which indicates the attack may have been carried out by the Cornish National Liberation Army.

The estimated cost of the damage is £2,500 and police have said they are treating it as criminal damage and theft as the head has not been recovered.

The Tinners Hounds, as they have been labelled, were designed by artist David Kemp and installed in the town centre in June as part of town centre improvements.

The hounds have received a mixed reaction from the public, with some people labelling them as grotesque while others appear to like them.

Mark Kaczmarek, Kerrier district and Cornwall county councillor, said: "I just can not believe that someone has gone into the town with an angle grinder over two nights and done this, they also scrawled CNLA into the granite. I have spoken to the police and kerrier about this and CCTV footage is being looked at now although this area is not covered by CCTV but the main street is.

"The hound has now been taken away and hopefully it will be restored as the artist still has the mould and can cast a new one.

"The police are on the lookout and I have been speaking to Kerrier about offering a reward for information which might lead to the arrest and prosecution of whoever did this.

"We will continue to improve the town and we will not let this deter us and acts like this will be dealt with and rectified. Redruth has been blighted with this type of vandalism and it does not need it anymore. If anyone does know anything about this I would urge them to come forward to the police."

If anyone does have any information about the incident they should contact the police on 08452 777444 quoting crime reference AC/07/4241