Anger as the BBC sets up a security screen in front of the statue at Broadcasting House of sculptor Eric Gill, who admits sexually abusing his two daughters and the family dog

• BBC bosses lay out plans for a 13ft widescreen to show Prospero and Ariel
• The statue outside the BBC’s Broadcasting House has been vandalized repeatedly

The BBC is trying to protect a controversial statue of pedophile sculptor Eric Gill after it was vandalized, MailOnline can reveal.

Company bosses have submitted a planning application for a protective screen after costly repairs were carried out to the carvings of Prospero and Ariel.

The statue, which stands on the outside of the BBC’s London headquarters, has been attacked by protesters twice in the last two years.

Sexual abuse activists were outraged by the decision and called on company bosses to remove the statue, which shows Ariel as a naked child, because it is linked to Gill, who wrote about the abuse of his daughters in his diaries.

In planning documents, Mark Fewster, the BBC’s security manager, said: “The question has to be if the guard force is physically unable to prevent anyone from entering the statue for a similar future attempt, what is the solution?”

“A protective shield has been proposed which, if properly designed and installed, should prevent access to all but the most determined adversary.”

He continues: “The statue is a highly emotive issue and has attracted negative attention for many years as individuals and groups have called for its removal.”

“I don’t think this interest will wane, and given the coverage of the previous attacks, copycat attempts cannot be ruled out.”

The BBC plans to erect a glazed screen measuring 13 feet high and 9 feet wide. The screen would be accompanied by a 45-degree screen made of Portland stone, which would make it difficult to stand next to the statue.

But a critic called on Westminster City Council, which is reviewing the plans, to reject the screen and called on corporate bosses to remove the statue from Broadcasting House in Portland Place.

Marilyn Hawes, chief executive of campaign group Freedom from Abuse, told MailOnline: “It’s outrageous, it makes no sense to me at all.”

“The BBC is trying to sweep this issue under the carpet.” “Gill’s victims or other victims are not taken into account.”

In May last year, a man wearing a Spider-Man mask was accused of causing £31,000 worth of damage to the statue after he allegedly scaled scaffolding outside Broadcasting House and attacked the statue with a hammer and chisel.

The area was cordoned off and the man remained there for just over eight hours until specialist officers arrived to arrest him, it said.

The man said he pleaded not guilty in court last year to one count of causing property damage.

The statue was also attacked in January 2022 when a protester climbed a ladder and hit the statue with a hammer.

Mr Fewster added: “As previously mentioned, I believe that installing the slanted base and protective shield would force an attacker to attack the statue while it is at an awkward angle on the ladder and would significantly reduce the reach and pivot angle reduced.”

“This would significantly reduce the potential damage.”

Gill’s 1932 statue of Prospero and Ariel, inspired by Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, stands prominently at the entrance to Broadcasting House.

Eric Gill was one of the most respected artists of the 20th century when he died in 1940.

However, his diaries published in 1989 revealed that he regularly abused his daughters Betty and Petra as well as the family dog.

The email before Figures uncovered show the huge cost of repairing the 1930s sculpture.

According to Freedom of Information information provided to the BBC, the cost of the first phase of work to restore the sculpture totaled £40,782.

These included the costs of “scaffolding hire and licensing” as well as “the costs of stonework carried out following the initial incident in January 2022”.

It added that there were “additional costs” of £7,255 for “continuing scaffold hire and licensing between the first and second phases of the restoration works”.

The first phase of the restoration included stone carving work required to clean the affected surfaces and ensure they were still structurally sound. Phase two included the cost of restorative stonework and a heritage protection application.

It is understood the BBC’s decision to repair the sculpture came after discussions with cultural organizations such as Historic England.

A BBC spokesman said: “The BBC does not condone Gill’s abusive behavior in any way.” Broadcasting House is a building of historical and cultural significance and has been for almost a century.

“After seeking expert advice and opinion, we are repairing the façade in line with the building’s listed status.”

The company said that once the restoration work is complete, the public will be able to access information about the artwork and the artist via a nearby “QR code.”