Sir George Grey statue in Auckland smeared with red paint

The statue of Sir George Grey in Albert Park covered in red paint. Photo / Dean Purcell

A statue of Sir George Grey in Auckland's Albert Park has been vandalised.

Red paint has been smeared across the face, chest and hands of the statue of New Zealand's 11th Prime Minister.

Auckland Art Collection manager Peter Tilley said Sir George Grey in Albert Park was daubed with red paint on Sunday evening.

"Our contractors will remove all paint by the end of the week."

The Albert Park statue wasn't the only tagging incident over the weekend.

The Ōtāhuhu World War I memorial on 591 Great South Rd, was heavily tagged on Sunday, Tilley said.

Police told the Herald a 25-year-old woman was arrested following an incident where a memorial statue was vandalised in Otahuhu yesterday morning.

The woman was charged with wilful damage and is due to appear in the Manukau District Court on June 18, a police spokeswoman said.

The statue of Sir George Grey in Albert Park today after it had been vandalised. Photo / Dean Purcell

Police also spoke to a group of young people yesterday afternoon who were seen tagging on a statue in Albert Park.

Police say it was established the group were using chalk. The group were spoken to and given a warning and made to wash the chalk off the statue.

It's understood this was a separate incident and the red paint tagging was in the evening.