23rd July 2009

Cold hearted vandals damage cemetery and WWI memorial

“HEARTLESS and distressing” is how police described two acts of vandalism in Weymouth as they began a door-door search for the culprits.

They are appealing for witnesses and information after memorial vases from Weymouth’s crematorium were smashed and the war memorial at Wyke Regis was vandalised.

Vandals smashed several vases, some containing floral tributes from loved ones, along Quibo Lane during the early hours of yesterday morning Tuesday, July 21st.

Police are keen to speak to a 17-year-old boy seen in the area at the time by a member of the public smashing a window of a sports car parked on Norfolk Road.

The offender is described as white, wearing a black t-shirt, blue jeans and black trainers with red laces.

Sergeant Tony Smith, of Weymouth Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “This is a really sad and heartless act of which is undoubtedly going to cause considerable distress to the bereaved.

“I would like to reassure members of the community that we are doing all we can to catch the cold-hearted culprit.”

In another incident £2,000 of damage was caused to the Wyke Regis 1920s memorial to 52 fallen heroes of the First World War – just weeks after a £4,235 facelift.

Thieves tried to jemmy the bronze from the Portland stone memorial with a crowbar, bending the metal and cracking the stone.

Councillor Tim Munro, environment brief holder, described the incident as outrageous and called for anyone with information to go straight to the police.

“These men died for us, yet some thief is so without morals they will damage the memorial and to heck with respect for our war dead.

“We will of course repair the damage, but it’s going to be a technical nightmare to repair – you can’t heat the metal without cracking the stone. But whatever it takes, we’ll do it.”

Anyone with information on the vases offender or the memorial vandals (crime number C-09-D032556) should call police on 01202/ 01305 222 222.

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