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Thousands vow to hold ‘egg-throwing contest’ at Thatcher statue unveiling

More than a thousand people have pledged to hold an egg-throwing competition at the unveiling of a statue of Margaret Thatcher in her hometown of Grantham.

The bronze sculpture of the Iron Lady – which cost The Public Memorials Appeal £300,000 – will tower over the public. All 10 feet of it will be placed on a high plinth to ward off vandalism, making it over 20 feet tall.

Members of the local district council were today asked to approve a further £100,000 for a special event to unveil the monument to the divisive former prime minister – leading some to hit out at a waste of taxpayers money.

Now more than a thousand people have vowed to take part in an “egg throwing contest”, advertised on Facebook, at the statue’s unveiling.

The organiser of the event said in an accompanying post: “Bois and girls and me non binarys, we out here holding contest for egg throwing, lassos throwing, and potentially graffiti art.

“Where are we doing this you might ask, well the in the wonderful city of Grantham, and we have a special target being made currently, a beautiful statue of the Iron Lady, now it’s a family friendly event so please be respectful and pick up ya litter.

“Not sure on the unveiling of the statue but will change the date accordingly.”

A spokesperson for South Kesteven District Council said: “The cost of the statue was funded by The Public Memorials Appeal and further money to support the project was raised by the Grantham Community Heritage Association.

“In the long-term, the statue is expected to attract more tourists to the area, providing a boost to the local economy.

“Our expectation is that the full event costs will be met through public and business fund-raising and donations, although there is a need to allocate funding to underwrite the event.”

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Henry Goodwin

Henry is a reporter with a keen interest in politics and current affairs. He read History at the University of Cambridge and has a Masters in Newspaper Journalism from City, University of London. Follow him on Twitter: @HenGoodwin.

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