West Ham players' statue protected for derby with Tottenham

The statue of West Ham's World Cup winning heroes has been boarded up for Wednesday night's derby with Spurs.

Extra security measures have been put in place for the Premier League showdown at Upton Park with the north London visitors desperate for victory that would take them to the top of the table. 

Officially known as 'The World Cup Sculpture', or 'The Champions', it celebrates the efforts of Hammers legends Bobby Moore, Sir Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters and Ray Wilson in 1966.

It was defaced last October following West Ham's 2-1 victory against Chelsea when blue paint was tipped over the base.

A Newham Council spokesperson said: "We have boarded around the steps of the Champions sculpture as a preventative measure following advice from the Metropolitan Police.

"We've done this numerous times before. The sculpture is an iconic image of England's 1966 Word Cup win and should be respected."