Stephen Lawrence memorial vandalised for fourth time

Stephen Lawrence's memorial plaque on the spot where he was
killed in Eltham, south London, in 1993. Photograph: Linda Nylind for the Guardian

Police release CCTV footage of vandal breaking glass over plaque honouring murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence

A plaque honouring the murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence has been targeted by vandals for a fourth time, police said. A Scotland Yard spokesman confirmed that officers were alerted shortly after 8am by members of the public. No arrests have been made.

In previous years vandals have chipped the memorial and poured paint and flammable liquids on the pavement tribute at the spot where the black 18-year-old was killed in Eltham, south London in April 1993. At the time of his death Stephen was studying English, design and technology, craft and physics and was hoping to become an architect.

There was no immediate reaction to the vandalism from either of Stephen's parents, who were at the Old Bailey last week for the pre-trial hearing of two men accused of his murder.

Later, police confirmed that the vandal was caught on CCTV smashing a bottle over the memorial plaque while walking alongside a woman with a pushchair. Police released the footage in an effort to trace the man and woman. Images released by Scotland Yard showed a man in white shorts, white trainers and a blue sleeveless shirt accompanied by a blonde woman pushing a stroller with a child in it.

Detective Sergeant James Bray said: "Anyone with information concerning the incident or who recognises this man and woman are asked to come forward and assist us with their inquiries."

Gary Dobson, 36, and David Norris, 35, deny murdering Stephen in a racist attack in April 1993. Dobson and Norris, both from south London, go on trial on 14 November. Witnesses are asked to call Plumstead CID on 020 8284 9554 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Six years after Stephen Lawrence's murder, an inquiry headed by Sir William Macpherson examined the original police investigation and concluded that the force was "institutionally racist". The Macpherson report has been called "one of the most important moments in the modern history of criminal justice in Britain".

Guardian

Luton mosque attacked by vandals

A LUTON mosque had its windows smashed and graffiti sprayed on its walls by vandals in the early hours of this morning.

Police were called to a mosque in Oak Road, Bury Park, shortly before 5am following a report of criminal damage.

Scenes of Crime Officers have attended the building and house to house enquiries have been undertaken.

Police are continuing to investigate who was responsible for the criminal damage and why.

Anyone with information about this incident should contact officers, in confidence, on 01234 841212, send a text to 07786 200011 or telephone Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Luton Today

EDIT - Socialist Worker have published an article about this which you can read here
Thanks to Newshound and others for the heads up.

Former soldier fined for 'brutal and excessive' force against anti-BNP protester

Steven Thomson, 42, repeatedly punched a man he saw vandalising a campaign poster in Aberdeen.

A former soldier who assaulted a protester for vandalising a British National Party campaign poster has been fined £300. Steven Thomson, 42, claimed he had been making a citizen's arrest when he saw Stefan Knust defacing the poster in Great Northern Road, Aberdeen, on March 25 last year, in the run-up to the General Election. But Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard he chased Mr Knust up the road and used "brutal and excessive force", punching his victim several times on the head and body.

Sheriff Malcolm Garden ruled that Thomson, of Gibblestone House, Scalloway, Shetland, "went too far" in his treatment of Mr Knust, although he had substantial grounds to make a citizen's arrest.

Thomson, a former BNP member, claimed he had used "minimum force" and merely "grabbed" his 21-year-old victim, but the court heard that this was inconsistent with Mr Knust's injuries. Thomson claimed he and his son had been "guarding" the £1,600 poster after it was repeatedly targeted by vandals.

Mr Knust, 21, told the court the pair got out of a car and chased him along the Great Northern Road before assaulting him.

Thomson, who denied the charge of assault, said he was "shocked" and "disgusted" with the verdict and was considering rejoining the BNP. He added he planned to appeal against the sheriff's verdict. His son Gregor Thomson, 21, of Summerfield Terrace, Aberdeen, went on trial beside his father, but the case against him was not proven.

STV

‘Citizen’s arrest’ ends in court

BNP father and son deny assaulting man over vandalised poster

Two members of the British National Party tried to carry out a citizen’s arrest on a man who was defacing a party poster in Aberdeen, a court has heard. Steven Thomson, 42, and his son Gregor Thomson, 21, deny assaulting Stefan Knust, but admit trying to detain him while they waited for police in Great Northern Road on March 25 last year.

The men were guarding the poster, after one had been vandalised the night before, when they saw two men run up and throw paint over it, Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard yesterday. The pair are alleged to have repeatedly punched Mr Knust on the head and body and repeatedly kicked him.

Steven Thomson, of 5 Gibblestone House, Scalloway, Shetland, told the court he had spent 12 years in the Army, worked in the prison service and been trying to enter the police force when he discovered he suffered from a genetic heart problem. He said a security firm had been hired to protect the poster during the day, but he had been tasked with guarding it at night. Two men ran away after throwing paint on the poster, but Mr Knust fell as he crossed the road, Thomson said.

“I grabbed him with my right hand by his collar,” he said. “He was using his arms to try to break my grip of his clothing.”

Thomson was trying to video the vandalism using a camera, but had accidentally turned the recording function off, the court heard. Thomson told the court he had helped to chase and detain the person who had vandalised the poster the previous night, which had cost £600 to replace. When asked by fiscal depute Victoria White if he was “annoyed and angry” about the vandalism, he replied: “Yes”.

His son, of 10A Summerfield Place, Aberdeen, said they had intended to carry out a “citizen’s arrest”, and “take hold of them with reasonable force” until the police arrived.

Both men have left the BNP, the court heard yesterday.

The case will return to court next month, when Sheriff Malcolm Garden asked to be addressed on when a person is entitled to perform a citizen’s arrest.

The Press and Journal

Popular garage falls victim to graffiti vandals

Police have launched an investigation after a petrol station in Toddington was daubed with racist graffiti at the weekend.

The busy BP garage and its Spar supermarket in Dunstable Road were targeted by vandals overnight on Friday, with the letters ‘BNP’ sprayed repeatedly on walls, the forecourt, pumps and shop shutters. It is believed the vandalism happened between 11pm on Friday and 6am on Saturday, when the garage re-opened for business.

A spokesman for Bedfordshire Police said the incident was being treated as criminal damage, and on Saturday morning officers were at the scene photographing the graffiti.

The garage, which has several Asian members of staff, last month had one of its pumps damaged when workers tried to stop a motorist driving away without paying for petrol. The garden fence of a house opposite the filling station was also damaged in a similar incident.

Jim Gledhill, chairman of Toddington Parish Council, said he was disappointed with the attack on a business popular with villagers. He said: “These are people who provide a really good service to the village, and it shouldn’t matter to anybody what their background is. It disgusts me. They had managed to clean up a lot of it but it was still very visible on the brickwork.”

Councillor Gledhill said he would be raising the issue at the parish council’s meeting last night (Wednesday), and hoped the council would be able to help the garage with the cost of the clean-up. Asked whether support for the BNP was an issue in the village, Councillor Gledhill said he thought there were a small number of people in the village with “racist views”.

“It’s a problem you wouldn’t really expect in Toddington,” he said. “I hope it’s just stupid children who will learn better in the future.”

Dunstable Today

Muslim graves smashed by vandals

Up to 20 Muslim graves have been targeted and vandalised at a cemetery in south Manchester.

The vandals struck at the Southern Cemetery on Barlow Moor Road overnight on Thursday. Staff found the Muslim section of the cemetery littered with broken headstones on Friday morning.

Det Con Rob Southern said: "Sadly, we are treating this as a hate crime. This sort of mindless, racist behaviour must be utterly condemned."

Police appealed to anyone who has information to come forward. Det Con Southern added: "This is the worst sort of vandalism imaginable. The graves of your loved ones should be a place where they can rest peacefully and that is absolutely sacrosanct. I'm sure the whole community will be outraged.

"The families of those whose graves have been vandalised will be rightly traumatised and deeply upset. If we do catch the people who committed these atrocious acts, then they should be made to see the grief and pain they have caused."

BBC

Family evicted 'for racial abuse'

An Edinburgh family has been evicted from their home following claims that they had racially abused their neighbours over a period of years.

Sarah Hutton, 36, and her five children were forced to move from their home in Wardieburn on Thursday after being accused of harassing other residents. It is one of the first evictions on the basis of racial abuse and harassment secured by Edinburgh City Council. The family has moved into private accommodation in Edinburgh.

Officials said incidents included extensive vandalism including damaging cars, smashing public toilets, kicking open stair doors and breaking door-entry systems, throwing stones and bricks at people and houses, smashing windows and threats and general abuse to neighbours. One family was even forced to move from the area after they were subjected to years of racial abuse, racist graffiti and assault.

Before the family was evicted the council said it used "every resource available" to work on ways to improve behaviour and to "prevent nuisance". The local authority said it had sent the tenant "numerous warning letters" and had organised joint visits from the council and the police on more than one occasion. She was also offered support with tenancy issues from the council's neighbourhood support team.

However the council said in this case legal action was necessary due to the "serious nature of the complaints" and because the family made no effort to change their behaviour.

Paul Edie, Edinburgh City Council community safety leader, said: "This action sends a clear message that we will not tolerate any sort of racially motivated harassment. Praise should go to residents for standing up and giving evidence against these people despite fears they may have."

Ch Insp Denise Mulvaney, of Lothian and Borders Police, said: "We take the issue of hate crime very seriously, and we believe the robust action taken in this case was the right thing to do and has resulted in the right outcome."

BBC

CCTV call after yobs smash gravestones

Yobs desecrated Jewish and Muslim gravestones in a spate of vandalism in Preston Cemetery.

Headstones were smashed in half and pushed to the ground and there are calls for CCTV cameras to catch the vandals.

Louts targeted the Hebrew and Muslim sections of the New Hall Lane site with some graves dating back to 1925 damaged. In the Muslim section, stones were toppled while memorial areas were trampled on and flowers ripped out. Yobs are believed to have climbed into the cemetery before jumping over separate fences.

Police today said the vandalism was "indiscriminate" and not deliberately anti-Semitic or anti-Muslim. But Iqbal Adam, chairman of Preston's Muslim Burial Society, said of the vandals: "They are not being civilised – they don't have feelings for anybody. They just make fun out of it – it's pretty bad. These gravestones are people and they are memories for the families. I feel very sorry for the families.It would be much better if they had CCTV."

Mr Adam – who said nothing had been sprayed on the damaged gravestones to suggest it was a racist attack – said work had begun to repair the damage.

Graham Lewis, trustee of the Preston Hebrew Congregation, said: "We are very distressed and for the families concerned who are very upset."

When asked if the attacks were racially motivated, he said: "I don't know. Given there was damage to the Muslim section and the Jewish section, it does not appear to be a deliberate target only to the Jewish community."

Det Insp Dave McKenna said: "They have damaged confined areas in the cemetery and pushed over some headstones in the Jewish and Muslim sections. We've been investigating and there is no suggestion of any racist overtones. We just think it's indiscriminate vandalism. We will be looking to take preventative measures in the future, such as CCTV. And we're appealing for anyone with information to get in touch."

A Preston Council spokesman said: "Since we began locking the main cemetery gates two and a half years ago, incidents of vandalism have decreased by 50%. Since this unfortunate incident we have begun closing the gates to the Hebrew and Muslim sections to act as a further deterrent. We are also in the process of applying for funding for cemetery railings which would further increase security.

"The issue of CCTV is one which we have looked into, however we do not believe it is feasible for a number of reasons. There are huge costs involved, the large number of surrounding trees make it impossible for all areas to be covered by cameras but, most importantly, people feel they are intrusive and the cemetery is a place that should be private."

Lancashire Evening Post