A WAR memorial in Flintshire was desecrated with an offensive symbol on Remembrance Sunday.

The Buckley War Memorial, based in the Garden of Remembrance at Hawkesbury, was spray painted with a swastika - a symbol synonymous with the Nazi party - on Sunday night. North Wales Police said a "neo-Nazi flag" was also found placed on the memorial. 

Work is underway to remove the symbol from the memorial, which commemorates those who fell in the two world wars and all other conflicts, of the Nazi party.

The memorial was refurbished in the summer of 2020 - with an extra 36 names added to it. 

Buckley councillor, David Ellis, said: "A lot of hard work went in to restoring the memorial, and to see what happened to it on a day of commemoration is heartbreaking.

"The slogan painted on is the ultimate mark of disrespect to those who gave everything and made the ultimate sacrifice for us. I am absolutely devastated and so annoyed about what has happened. There is CCTV around the area and it will be checked by the police and I can only hope the culprits are caught and brought to justice."

READ MORE: 

Councillor Ellis said Steve Blackwell, of Blackwell Memorials, is working to remove the symbol.

He said: "Steve is doing everything he can, and a huge thanks to him. But the memorial is made of York stone - which is very absorbent and the fact the paint has got into the wording of the names makes it very difficult to clean off.

"We had such a brilliant service on Sunday, and the people of Buckley turned out in their droves for it. What happened later in the day leaves a very sour taste."

Councillor Ellis added that extra security measures in the form of locks on the gate to the memorial are now being sought to further secure it. 

North Wales Police said shortly after 11.30pm yesterday (Sunday, November 13) it received a report of a "hate related" incident at Hawkesbury Memorial Garden on Mill Lane, Buckley.

Officers attended the scene where it was reported a neo-Nazi flag had been placed at the foot of the cenotaph, which had also been vandalised with black spray paint in the shape of a swastika.

Inspector Iwan Jones said: “This was a distressing and distasteful hate crime on such an emotive weekend and we will do all we can to identify those responsible.

“Our enquiries into this incident are being prioritised and I would ask anyone with information that could assist with our investigation to get in touch via the website, or by calling 101, using reference 22000834075.”