Four cleared of criminal damage over toppling statue of Edward Colston

Milo Ponsford, left, Sage Willoughby, second left, Jake Skuse, second right in mask, and Rhian Graham outside Bristol Crown Court (Ben Birchall/PA)

Four people have been cleared of criminal damage over toppling the statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol and throwing it in the harbour.

The bronze memorial to the 17th century slave merchant was pulled down during a Black Lives Matter protest on June 7 2020, before being rolled into the water.