Latest on the Maggie Thatcher story.

A political protester was warned he faced jail for publicly decapitating a £150,000 statue of Baroness Thatcher.

Paul Kelleher, 37, said he felt driven to carry out the decapitation both to protect his son and draw attention to the dangers facing the world.

After learning the 8ft Italian marble sculpture was going on show at London's Guildhall, the father-of-one carried out an initial "recce" before returning a few days later with a cricket bat under his raincoat.

But the towering likeness of the former premier, nicknamed the "Iron Lady" during her years in power, shrugged off the first blow to the head.

Undeterred, Kelleher used a metal pole from a nearby crowd control barrier to resume his assault which left the statue decapitated.

Kelleher, of Loring Road, Isleworth, West London, who never disputed what he did, showed no reaction as a jury of five women and seven men took less than an hour to reject his claims he had a "lawful excuse" for the attack.

They unanimously convicted him of one count of criminal damage on July 3 last year.

Judge George Bathurst-Norman told him: "I'm not going to deal with you today. I'm going to order a pre-sentence report.

"I am making no promises as to how I am going to deal with you, because prison obviously has to be an option."

Kelleher, who was allowed bail and told to be back at court on February 19, replied: "Fair enough, sir."