Memorial Park Vandalised

Fleetwood awoke this morning to a scene of appalling vandalism, with the cenotaph in the town’s beloved Memorial Park defaced.The monument – a tribute to townspeople who have given their lives in the service of their country – was sprayed with a large blue swastika, an act of sickening disrespect.

Wyre Borough Council acted quickly, dispatching staff to clean the monument, but the damage was already done. Thankfully, the paint was only on one side of the statue.

The cenotaph recently made headlines after a petition was launched to have the name of Darren Smith, the Marine Commando who was killed in Afghanistan in February, added to the list of the town’s war dead. In the light of Marine Smith’s sacrifice, today’s discovery of the graffiti is doubly insulting.

It is not known whether the graffiti is the work of an individual or a group. Life In Fleetwood condemns these senseless actions unreservedly and urges anyone with any information to contact the police.