Molly Malone statute vandalised only days after it was cleaned and moved

The iconic structure had only been placed in her new home outside the Dublin Tourism Office on Suffolk Street for four days.

Earlier today, Molly's cleavage area was spraypainted in colour and the Dublin City Business Improvement District tweeted this picture.

"We spend thousands each year removing graffiti from businesses. Now much loved public monuments targeted #disgrace," they wrote on Twitter.

Dublin City Council were alerted to the vandalism and responded almost immediately to clean the statue up.

Ms Malone has only just emerged from a whole body makeover which included steam-cleaning and welding.

She was removed out of her usual spot at the bottom of Grafton Street in May in order to facilitate the cross-city Luas works.

But it remains to be seen whether the new spot in Suffolk Street is a safe spot for the girl and her wheelbarrow.

Molly is set to return home when the Luas works are complete – estimated at around October 2017.