Missing head of King George V statue appears with Kneecap at Australia gig

Police have launched an investigation.

In June of last year, vandals at Kings Domain in Melbourne beheaded a statue of the monarch - who ruled the UK from 1910 until his death in 1936 - during an Australian public holiday marking his birthday.

Authorities launched an inquiry after confirming the head had been taken and red paint had been splashed on the statue's base.

The Melbourne Crime Investigation Unit has been handling the case since.

Last Friday, the head from the historic statue appeared alongside Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí on stage at the Belfast group's Federation Square show.

In a post on Instagram, the band wrote: "Some madman dropped by with a huge King George’s head so he could hear a few tunes for our last Melbourne show!

"Allegedly his head was cut off last year in the city..…anyways he was put on stage for a few tunes and then whisked away…remember every colony can fall."

The crowd booed the British royal family as the controversial prop was unveiled and then cheered as one band member declared: "He’s the first royal at a Kneecap gig, and will be the last."

The story has attracted widespread coverage in Australia with reports featuring on national TV, in daily newspapers and various online outlets.

In a statement released this week, Melbourne police said investigators are aware "that the head from what appears to be a statue appeared at a concert in Melbourne on 14 March".

"Detectives will investigate whether there is any link between the two incidents. No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing," the statement added.

Footage of the statue beheading was posted to social media last year, overlaid with the Sex Pistol's song God Save The Queen.

One vandal daubed 'the colony will fall' at the statue's foot.

Melbourne City Council estimated it would cost about $10,000 to clean the statue and even more to restore it.

The event came amid a spate of anti-colonial vandalism in Australia.