A statue for a decorated war hero has been stripped of its brass signs.

The monument to Charles George Gordon, commonly known as General Gordon, has stood proudly in the Fort Gardens in Gravesend since 1893.

The statue was marked with a portrait of the Royal Engineer on a brass plaque and had another sign explaining how he helped the town and became a national hero for his exploits in China.

Now the signs appear to have been ripped off.

Gravesend resident Becky Moore spotted the desecration while walking her dog through the gardens last week..

“The prom and the gardens have really gone downhill since two permanent groundskeepers were moved on,” she claimed. “No one seems to care about it anymore.”

Chairman of Greenhithe and Swanscombe Royal British Legion (RBL) Club Mark Luck echoed her anger at the lack of respect paid to the memorial.

“The general has been recognised and remembered locally for his untiring works to bring education to the poor of Gravesend,” he said.

“It riles myself and my fellow club members to see such desecration, possibly by the descendants of those he aided almost 140 years after General Gordon’s death, while fighting the Mahdi forces in Sudan.”

It is not the first time the plaques have been removed.

In June 2013 the brass plaque's base was chipped away and Gravesham council promised to repair and replace it.

The statue marks the site of an annual ceremony commemorating the general on the anniversary of his death on January 26, 1885.

Gordon came to Gravesend in 1885 and served as the commandant of the Thames Forts, when the government at the time was concerned about a possible invasion by the French.

Although a decorated war hero for his work during the civil war in China – efforts that earned him the nickname “Chinese Gordon” – he was remembered by many in the town for his generosity.

Passionate about opportunities for young people to gain a decent education, he worked at the Gravesend Ragged School and set up schools at Fort House and East Terrace, as well as teaching at St Andrew’s mission, now St Andrew’s Church, in Royal Pier Road.

Not content with just giving up his time, he also helped financially and visited workhouses to give the poor tobacco, food and tea.

Gordon was killed on January 26, 1885 during a revolt in Khartoum, Sudan.

More than 125 years on from his death, crowds still turn up every year to remember one of the town’s greatest philanthropists.

Military heroes are commemorated for their exploits in battle but for one who gained the nickname “Chinese Gordon”, it was his work helping the poor in Kent which saw his immortal status confirmed and remembered still today.

As time has progressed, it is that side of Major General Charles Gordon which has been commemorated in Gravesend, where he was based for five years in the 1860s.

The town's Gordon Gardens is named after him and he lived in the nearby New Tavern Fort from 1865 to 1871.

General Gordon was born in 1833 in Woolwich, and as a young boy spent some of his holidays with relatives in Northfleet.

After becoming a cadet in the army at Woolwich in 1848, it was some 17 years later, at the age of 32, that Gordon came to Gravesend on September 1, 1865, the youngest Colonel ever.

Gordon spent a great deal of time working with the poor and needy, setting up schools at Fort House and East Terrace as well as teaching at St Andrew's mission on the waterfront.

He was a regular visitor to the local workhouse where he would supply the poor with food, tea and tobacco. He also visited the sick and lonely in the local infirmary.

After his death on January 26, 1885 at Khartoum, it came to light that Gordon had never forgotten the poor and needy he had met during his stay in Gravesend.

Each January, a memorial service is held in his memory.

Once news of his death reached Gravesend council, it decided to create the largest ever memorial to the borough's friend and benefactor.

A number of Gordon Schools were founded across England. They include one in Ordnance Street, Gravesend, which faces his memorial in the grounds of the Promenade gardens.

The RBL is not responsible for war memorials which are typically the responsibility of either the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, or occasionally, the local authority.

But a spokesperson for the RBL said they were “shocked and saddened” to hear of this incident.

“War memorials and graves honour the memory of our Armed Forces and deserve to be treated with the utmost respect,” they sayd.

A spokesman for Gravesham council said: “We are aware of the damage to the General Gordon statue, and are sad and disappointed this has happened.

“The statue honours an important figure in our country’s history, and someone who cared deeply about improving the prospects of some of the poorest residents in Gravesend during his time.

“The damage to the pillar where the plaque has been removed will require the attention of a specialist stone mason before we can install a replacement, and this will be carried out as soon as possible.”