Thames-Coromandel District Council is appealing for anyone with information regarding the vandalising of a cenotaph to get in contact.
The Victoria Park cenotaph in Thames has been damaged in what the council says appears to be deliberate vandalism.
"The cenotaph is there to remember all the soldiers from the Coromandel that served in the Boer War in South Africa," it wrote on its Facebook page.
"The broken sections are being stored safely while we assess the damage and see if it can be repaired. The rest of the cenotaph structure is safe."
Those responsible have been branded as "disgusting" and "oxygen thieves" by commenters on the post.
"Disgusting. Hope they are caught and made to help with the restoration," one person wrote.
"Gosh that's awful. I hope it can be fixed soon," wrote another.
One commenter suggested it may be the same people who have tagged the Kopu Bridge with "racist and sexist" messages "that actually say more about the IQ of those responsible than their targets".
"Total oxygen thieves," they concluded.
Police have been notified and the council is asking anyone who knows anything to contact its customer services team on 07 868 0200.
