The National Gallery has banned liquids, except baby formula, expressed milk and prescription medicines, after several attacks on paintings in its central London building.

This measure, which came into force Friday morning, follows “physical damage” caused to his works by demonstrators.

“Unfortunately, we have reached a point where we are obliged to act to protect our visitors, our staff and our collections,” a gallery spokesperson said.

Protesters have targeted the art museum five times since July 2022.

Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers, John Constable’s The Hay Wain and Diego Velazquez’s Rokeby Venus were all damaged.

The spokesperson said: “Such attacks have caused physical damage to artworks, distress to visitors and staff, and disrupted our mission to ensure great art is accessible to everyone, everywhere.

“Two of these attacks took place in the last two weeks and that is why we have made the difficult and unfortunate decision to change the way we operate for the near future.

The gallery advised visitors to take “a minimum of items” with them and said all bags would be inspected.

He said he was “sorry” to make the decision and felt entry into the museum would now take longer.

Van Gogh’s Sunflowers was targeted by the gallery, causing damage to the frame, estimated at between £10,000 and £20,000, and to the paintings, according to prosecutor James Bowker.

Three Just Stop Oil supporters, Stephen Simpson, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, Mary Somerville, also from Bradford, and Phillipa Green, from Penryn, Cornwall, all pleaded not guilty to criminal damage at London Magistrates’ Court. Westminster last month.

The trio will next appear at Southwark Crown Court on October 28.

This was shortly after two Just Stop Oil activists were jailed for pouring soup and causing damage worth £10,000 in October 2022 to the Dutch artist’s Sunflowers frame.

Phoebe Plummer was sentenced to two years in prison, while Anna Holland was sentenced to 20 months.

Two supporters also stuck together at Constable’s The Hay Wain in July 2022.

Protesters reportedly smashed the glass protecting the Rokeby Venus, or Venus Toilet, and caused more than £6,000 worth of damage in November 2023.

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