Devotees of the beloved BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses have initiated a crowdfunding campaign to replace the damaged headstone of actor Buster Merryfield, who portrayed Uncle Albert in the long-running comedy series.
The grave, located at Verwood Cemetery in Dorset, where Merryfield resided, is shared with his wife, Iris, and has been discovered in a distressing state.
Visitors to the site were shocked to find a photograph of the actor on the memorial had been cracked, with sections temporarily mended using red and white tape.
The Only Fools and Horses Appreciation Society is coordinating the fundraising effort, with members hoping to install an entirely new headstone for both Merryfield and Iris.
Buster Merryfield, Nicholas Lyndhurst, and David Jason won several awards during their time on Only Fools
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The vandalism has left supporters of the programme devastated and bewildered.
A source told The Sun: "They're devastated about what's happened to Buster's grave. He's so well loved, nobody can quite comprehend who would do such a thing."
The source added with characteristic humour: "It's even been joked the Germans wouldn't have touched it, given the only ships Uncle Albert sunk were his own!"
Angry followers have taken to social media to express their fury at the senseless act.
Buster Merryfield's Uncle Albert alongside Del Boy, Rodney and Raquel
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One wrote: "Love to get my hands on the little s***s who did this."
Another commented: "There are some strange people in the world who need to get a life."
Mr Merryfield, whose real first name was Harry, spent nearly four decades working for Westminster Bank before embarking on his acting career at the age of 57.
During his banking tenure, he rose to the position of senior area manager, though his time at the institution was interrupted by military service during the Second World War.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Buster Merryfield (left) featured in dozens of Only Fools episodes
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His passion for performance developed while serving as an entertainment officer, organising shows for fellow troops.
Following his retirement from NatWest in 1978, he joined a repertory company and appeared in stage productions including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and Equus at the Connaught Theatre in Worthing.
Mr Merryfield secured the role of Uncle Albert in January 1985, filling the gap left by Lennard Pearce's death the previous December.
Mr Merryfield married Iris in June 1942, and the couple had a daughter together, along with two grandchildren who survived him.
Only Fools and Horses fans have launched a fundraiser for the actor
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The actor passed away at Poole General Hospital on June 23, 1999, following a brain tumour, aged 78.
Iris died in November 2002 and was laid to rest beside her husband at the Dorset cemetery.
The character of Uncle Albert, introduced as the long-lost brother of Grandad Trotter, became famous for his catchphrase "During the war..."
His death was acknowledged in the 2001 Christmas special If They Could See Us Now, while the following year's festive episode, Strangers on the Shore, depicted Sir David Jason's Del Boy and Nicholas Lyndhurst's Rodney scattering their uncle's ashes at sea.