Historian David Olusoga has welcomed the verdict in the Colston Four trial, after the four individuals were cleared of criminal damage.

The statue of 17th century slave merchant Edward Colston was torn down in Bristol during a Black Lives Matter protest on June 7 2020 before being rolled into the Bristol Harbour.

Although a huge crowd of people were involved, just four people faced trial.

Rhian Graham, 30, Milo Ponsford, 26, Jake Skuse, 33, and Sage Willoughby, 22, were all cleared of the charges.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain, Olusoga was pleased with the outcome of the trial and gave expert evidence for the defence of the Colston Four during it.

Speaking on the ITV breakfast show he said: "That statue standing there for 125 years was validating the career of a mass murderer.

“And to people whose ancestors were enslaved by Colston and men like him, it is offensive, and you can talk to thousands of people in Bristol who found it offensive.

“So I think this idea that a statue is somehow benign or harmless, I think that depends on your experience, where you’re coming from and what your family background is.”

READ MORE: Jury returns verdict on four charged after toppling statue of Edward Colston

“I think what this verdict shows is that when people are given the evidence about Edward Colston, about Britain’s involvement in slavery, and about the rather strange story about the cult that was built in Bristol in the 19th century around Edward Colston, when they get that information directly rather than through tabloids or journalists or politicians, then they actually react to the evidence rather than to the culture war drum beat that is built around it.

“Most people don’t understand the details of this history, of this statue, and the long campaign to have it removed peacefully.”