A police investigation is under way after a war memorial which has 'pride of place' in Moulton has been damaged.
Officers from Northwich Local Policing Unit were called to the statue on Main Road to reports that the rifle had broken off, at around 2.30pm on Sunday (February 28).
The damaged items were recovered but now police are conducting enquiries to discover the cause.
Insp Dave Snasdell said: "This iconic statue has pride of place in this small tight-knit community and we are keen to find out who, or what, caused the damage.
"At this stage the incident is being treated as criminal damage, although we are also investigating whether the damage has been caused by the recent cold weather."
Anyone with any information in relation to the incident is asked to contact Cheshire police on 101 quoting incident number 512 of February 28.
Alternatively, information can be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
