A Captain Cook monument in St Kilda was defaced overnight.

The statue at Catani Gardens has been covered in red paint.

The statue has been a popular target for vandals in recent years, particularly on Australia Day.

Last year, security guards were employed to protect the statue.

Caller Dennis told Neil Mitchell the Captain Cook plaque in Edinburgh Gardens was also defaced, but he spent about an hour cleaning it up.

“The little monument there … was completely covered in thick red paint, so I rode back home and I got a spray bottle of ‘Muck Off’ for removing graffiti,” he said.

Press PLAY below to hear caller David reporting the vandalism at St Kilda to 3AW Breakfast

City of Port Phillip mayor Marcus Pearl said he’s “a bit disappointed” by what’s been done to the St Kilda statue.

“We had a very beautiful, respectful service with our traditional land owners this morning, and that was a fitting occasion I thought, and then to come down and see this, personally I was a bit disappointed,” he told Neil Mitchell.

“It hasn’t been vandalised for the past few years, the last time it was vandalised was back in 2019.

“We had security details around the city last night, it was a very hot and busy night on the foreshore.”

Press PLAY below to hear the Port Phillip mayor

Images: Nine News