The eco-warrior who sparked fury by dumping a bucket of human excrement over a memorial to Captain Sir Tom Moore has been reported to police.
Derbyshire Police have been alerted to footage of former medical student Maddie Budd, 21, aimed at paying tribute to the beloved national hero.
Video of the stunt, performed for advocacy group End UK Private Jets, was turned over to police by the company AGC Fabrications, which created the memorial.
Its chief executive Austin Cox confirmed to Web this morning: “We are working with the police, we have a crime reference number.
“We are following it and hope they are prosecuted. I can’t say more at the moment.”
He previously publicly tweeted: “I am the person who gifted the memorial to Thistley Meadow and would like to inform you that we will be prosecuting Maddie for vandalism. We will work with the police to ensure this happens as much as possible.”
The video is reviewed by experts who decide whether the act exceeds a criminal law damage threshold.
Derbyshire Police said: “We have been told that the memorial of Captain Sir Tom Moore at Thistley Meadow in Hatton has been defaced. Our officers are aware of this and the investigation is ongoing.
Ms Budd filmed herself pouring the canister of faeces and urine over the memorial to the late captain, who made international headlines in 2020 when he raised millions for charity in the run-up to his 100th birthday during the Covid-19 pandemic.
And in a bizarre justification, she later submitted a video in which she explained: “People will say he’s a hero, people will say this is deeply and obscenely disrespectful to his life and the NHS for whom it happened, and I agree with that.
“I studied to be a doctor because I believe in caring for people. If we believe the NHS matters, if we believe we need to look after each other, if we believe NHS staff do essential work, then why are we forcing our healthcare system to collapse, why are we forcing our civilization to collapse, why? basically no one who takes this genocide of all humanity seriously?
“All of this is true and the government won’t even end British private jets, every time one takes off they pour a bucket of shit and blood on everything Captain Tom stood for.”
The reaction to the act was so strong that there were threats to bring police charges against the eco-fanatic.
Former medical student Maddie Budd, 21, filmed herself throwing a bucket of human excrement over a monument to Captain Sir Tom Moore in protest at the use of private jets
The destroyed memorial commemorates Captain Sir Tom Moore, who made international headlines in 2020 when he raised money for charity in the run-up to his 100th birthday during the Covid-19 pandemic
Ms Budd attempted to justify her desecration of the memorial by claiming that “every time one [private jet] takes off, it pours a bucket of shit and blood on everything that Captain Tom stood for.
Captain Tom started running 100 lengths of his garden in 2020 at the age of 99 with the aim of raising £1,000 for NHS charities by his 100th birthday on April 30.
However, thanks to media appearances, his efforts captured the nation’s imagination and by his birthday he had raised over £30million. He was considered a national treasure until his death on February 2, 2021 after catching Covid.
Ms Budd’s act of vandalism against the beloved captain, who was awarded an overflight by the RAF and British Army on his 100th birthday and was even knighted by the Queen, has sparked predictable public outrage.
“How will this convince people to use private jets?” wrote one Twitter user. “It looks like a kid throwing a disgusting tantrum and being beyond disrespectful. This type of behavior will not convince anyone to make changes.’
Another wrote: “I hope she gets jail time for this. I’m not helping your cause at all, if anything, I’m against you and your cause now. Disgusting, frankly, you should distance yourself from this disgraceful behavior and not support it.
While a third raised questions as to why Ms Budd is no longer a medical student.
“Former medical student? what is she now Or is that just too embarrassing to share?’
Captain Sir Tom Moore gives a thumbs up in celebration of his incredible work to raise money for the NHS
And a person who claims to have donated the memorial said they would pursue Ms Budd for vandalism.
“We will be working with the police to ensure this happens as much as possible.”
According to her Facebook page, Ms Budd was arrested in London last September while she was protesting with doctors and health professionals for Extinction Rebellion.
Emissions from flights are known to be significantly worse than any other mode of transport, and private jets generally produce significantly more emissions per passenger than commercial flights.
Plenty of celebrities have been hyped for their private jet use, with one of Kylie Jenner’s flights reportedly lasting an insultingly short 17 minutes.
It is estimated that their 17-minute excursion would have resulted in a ton of carbon emissions.
While not a huge amount by itself, it accounts for about a quarter of the average person’s total annual carbon footprint worldwide.
During last year’s COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, a total of 76 private jet or VIP flights arrived in and around Glasgow in the four days leading up to November 1st.