Police Memorial Trust pledges to replace vandalised stones

THE Police Memorial Trust has vowed to replace any memorial stones to fallen officers that come under attack.

Four monuments have been destroyed in recent years, with the latest attack being carried out in London. PC Phillip Walters’ memorial stone was attacked and smashed by unknown offenders on 1 July this year in Ilford. Large sections of the stone were broken and left lying on the ground.

Met PC Walters was aged just 28 in 1995 when he was killed attending a domestic disturbance.

“Police officers – and communities in London – are rightly outraged by this reprehensible and cowardly crime,” said Emma Owens, vice chairman of the Met Police Federation.

“There are almost no words to describe what could possess mindless criminals to do this.”

The National Police Memorial in London’s Mall has also been vandalised in recent years. It was set up following support from late film director Michael Winner.

His wife, Geraldine Winner, said she was “very upset” when she heard about the attack on the stone to PC Walters.

She said: “We don’t know why people do it. We’re going to fix it up and put it back.”

Steve Lloyd, a former Greater Manchester Police officer, is now a member of the board of Trustees of the Police Memorial Trust.

He said: “It is very difficult to see how we can stop these random acts of violence. What I would like to say, and it is officially on behalf of the Police Memorial Trust, no matter what anybody does to any of our memorials, we will always replace them as soon as possible.

“In most cases they will be rededicated, because the one thing that it proves is that we’re not going to let these officers’ sacrifices be forgotten.”

Forty-two memorials have now been erected around the country, with the most recent to PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes, of Greater Manchester Police, unveiled by former Prime Minister David Cameron in July.