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A statue of Margaret Thatcher in her home town will require a 10ft-high platform to curb the threat of vandalism, police have said.

The £300,000 sculpture of the former prime minister was originally meant to stand in Parliament Square in central London.

But the proposals were rejected last year amid fears it would become a target for protesters.

New plans to have it installed in Grantham will be voted on next week, but authorities have similar fears.

But police said that despite a "motivated far-left movement... who may be committed to public activism" who are against Mrs Thatcher "the passage of time does seem to have diminished that feeling".

Members of the South Kesteven District Council's Development Management Committee will vote on the proposals next Tuesday after the idea had 17 objections and seven people writing in support.

A report to the committee said: "In general there remains a motivated far-left movement across the UK (though not so much in Lincolnshire) who may be committed to public activism.

"Margaret Thatcher does however maintain an element of emblematic significance to many on the left and the passage of time does seem to have diminished that intensity of feeling."

Currently, the only marking of Baroness Thatcher in the Lincolnshire town is a plaque on the corner of North Parade and Broad Street to show where she was born.

The report to the authority in Lincolnshire said issues surrounding potential vandalism were present in this case.

It said: "The divisive nature of Baroness Thatcher due to her political career and policy legacy and the potential for this to result in vandalism has been raised as a concern.

"A threat assessment has been carried out by Lincolnshire Police who consider there is a possibility any public statue of Baroness Thatcher could be a target for politically motivated vandals.

"Lincolnshire Police's Crime Prevention Officer has not objected to the proposal but they have recommended the statue is placed on a sufficiently high plinth and is sited in a location that benefits from good natural surveillance as well as lighting and CCTV."

Letters in support of the statue said the location - at St Peter's Hill in the Lincolnshire town - was suitable to "commemorate the first female Prime Minister", while objections said Baroness Thatcher was a "divisive figure to due to political career and policies".

