Two war memorials in central London have been vandalised, prompting condemnation from the organisations responsible for their upkeep. The £6m RAF Bomber Command memorial in Green Park and the £2m Animals in War memorial in Hyde Park were both found defaced with graffiti early on Monday. The word 'Islam' was quickly covered up after being discovered.
The Metropolitan Police and Royal Parks officers are treating the incidents as criminal damage. No arrests have been made. Both memorials are made from Portland stone.
The Bomber Command memorial, which features a 3 metre-high bronze sculpture of seven airmen returning from a bombing raid, commemorates 55,573 air crew who died during the second world war. It was opened by the Queen last year following a lengthy campaign, funded by private sponsors including Lord Ashcroft, John Caudwell and Richard Desmond, as well as public donations. The memorial also bears an inscription honouring civilian lives lost in the raids.
Dean Benton, director of marketing and communications at the RAF Benevolent Association fund, said: 'This mindless act of vandalism re-emphasises the fact that we must still raise £1.5m towards the ongoing maintenance costs. We ask the great British public to once more get behind the memorial and help us raise this sum.'
The Animals in War memorial, which includes bronze mules, a horse, a dog, and silhouettes of other animals carved into a stone wall, was unveiled by the Princess Royal in November 2004. The £2m cost was met through a national appeal and donations from individuals and organisations, including the estate of American philanthropist Paul Mellon. The memorial is maintained by Westminster Council.
Ed Argar, cabinet member for city management at Westminster Council, said: 'We deplore any act of vandalism or graffiti that desecrates memorials put in place to honour those who fought for our country's freedom. We will clean and restore the memorial as swiftly as possible.'
