Everton is assisting Merseyside Police with enquiries in relation to a flare ignited on the Dixie Dean statue outside Goodison Park.

We encourage anyone with information relating to this disappointing and disrespectful incident to contact Merseyside Police.

Following inspection - and cleaning of the memorial and the site - we can thankfully confirm no permanent damage has been done to the statue of our greatest-ever goalscorer - or the floral tributes laid at the foot of the statue.