Vandals have attempted to remove the head of a Captain Cook statue in Melbourne, just weeks after it was reinstalled.
Security patrols alerted police to the damage in Fitzroy Gardens about 2am.
Police believe two offenders spray-painted Captain Cook's cottage, before attempting to remove the head of the statue, which stands in the gardens.
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The statue was previously sawn off at the ankles and vandalised on February 26.
The bronze statue was repaired and returned nearly two weeks ago.
Last year, two colonial monuments were targeted ahead of Australia Day, with the Captain Cook sculpture in St Kilda also sawn off, with the words "the colony will fall" scrawled in red paint.
Detectives have secured nearby CCTV in an attempt to identify those involved.
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