Anzac war graves in London defaced

The final resting places of soldiers who died in World War One were found daubed with paint at Harefield churchyard in Hillingdon on Sunday.

A councillor said she was left in tears after vandals defaced Australian and New Zealand Army Corps graves in west London.

Around 10,000 ANZAC forces died in the Gallipoli campaign against Ottoman Empire forces in 1915 and April 25 is used around the world as a day to remember all those Australians and New Zealanders who died in conflict.

“We work very closely with the local police, and we’ve been in communication ever since it happened. People were coming down to look at it whilst I was there and were obviously, visibly moved by it”.

Mike Bullen, the assistant director for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), which is responsible for looking after the graves, said: “We are extremely disappointed by this deliberate act of vandalism and deplore the actions of those responsible”.

Local police are asking information about the attacks, calling the desecration of war graves “a despicable crime”.

He appealed for anyone with information to contact police on 101.

He told Sky News that the vandalism was reported to police at 7.45am on Sunday and, while they continue to investigate, there have not been any arrests made yet.

“What you did was wrong – do the right thing and hand yourself in”.

It is the second such incident this year after a memorial in the cemetery was sprayed with paint and the Australian flagpole cut into on the eve of the Gallipoli centenary, the Mirror reported.