‘Hate crime’ investigation launched after Holocaust memorial damaged

Criminal damage to Plymouth's Holocaust Memorial on Plymouth Hoe is being investigated by police. Damage was caused to the inscribed stone and the plinth it was mounted on. Police said the incident was being treated as a hate crime and have appealed for witnesses to come forward.

The damage, in the Peace Garden area off the Hoe, occurred in the days after Holocaust Memorial Day at the end of January. The engraved stone has now been removed.

PC Stacey Vidler said: "While a crime like this is rare, it has understandably caused great distress to members of the Jewish Community. If anyone has any information or saw anyone acting suspiciously around the memorial, we encourage you to come forward and contact us."

Posting a photograph of the damage on the X social media platform, Tom Godwin wrote: “To whoever has tried to remove and damaged the Holocaust memorial stone in the peace garden here in Plymouth...and failed. Know this ... for Jews stones are everlasting and do not die, thus the memory will remain.”