In what took locals by surprise, the national symbol of Denmark, the Little Mermaid sculpture perched on a rock overlooking the Copenhagen port, was splattered with green paint by vandals and adorned with a dildo, according to local police.

"We are taking this very seriously because one cannot accept vandalism, not on the Little Mermaid or any other public statue," deputy police commissioner Peter Steffensen tells the Associated Foreign Press.

Investigators have "no leads on the perpetrators of the act ... which took place early on Wednesday," he adds.The vandals scrawled "8 marts" across the rock on which the Little Mermaid sits, marking the date in Danish of International Women's Day which was celebrated around the world on Wednesday.