. The gates and statue of slave trader Robert Geffrye were damaged and a message graffitied calling out "the blood on Geffrye's hands". Picture: Robin Priestley - Credit: Robin Priestley Mike Howarth thinks Geffrye's statue should stay. He said on Facebook: "You can't hide history away but everyone can learn from it if it's there to see." But Matt Saze commented that other controversial statues have been removed after revelations of crime were revealed: "I don’t see the Jimmy Saville memorials still up in Stoke Mandeville. Time to take it down." Lilz Hearn commented: "Plenty of worthy candidates to pedestal instead of slave traders."