Vandals who daubed red handprints on a Neolithic monument in England may have damaged it permanently, heritage experts fear. The 5,000 year-old Stoney Littleton Long Barrow in Wellow near Bath is thought to have been targeted in early November.
     Properties curator, Win Scutt said: "This attack on its historic fabric is not only thoughtless, it is a crime." Mr Scutt added: "Whilst our specialist team will be working to remove the graffiti, there is every chance it might have caused permanent damage to the stonework. The motivation behind a wanton attack like this is unthinkable, and we have been working Avon and Somerset Police to aid them in their investigations. I would urge anyone with any information about this incident to contact them directly on 101, using crime reference 5520250419."
     Stoney Littleton Long Barrow is one of the country's finest accessible examples of a Neolithic chambered tomb dating to about 3500 BC.

Edited from BBC News, Avon and Somerset Police (1 December 2020)