Attacks on war memorial 'upsetting', Royal British Legion says

Two attacks on a war memorial on consecutive days have been described as "sad and upsetting", by the local chairman of the Royal British Legion (RBL).

An offensive sectarian term was first painted on the monument on the Derry Road in Strabane, County Tyrone on Monday – an incident police are treating as a sectarian hate crime.

It was removed by Derry City and Strabane District Council staff but was painted onto the memorial again on Tuesday.

Derick Donnell, chairman of the local branch of the RBL, said the memorial had been "desecrated", adding the attacks are "very disappointing".

He said vandalising the memorial "is akin to desecrating a family grave".

"People do not seem to be educated about the memorial. It was erected in memory of men from the local community, from both sides of the community, who went to war," he told BBC News NI.

Donnell said it was difficult to comprehend why a memorial that had never previously been attacked in this manner was now the target on consecutive days.

Wreaths had been removed in previous years from the memorial, he said, but now "this has gone to a higher level".

"For what reason I do not know," he said.

He said the RBL would be happy to talk to anyone in Strabane who has a problem with the memorial.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it is treating Monday's incident as a sectarian motivated hate crime, but said it did not receive a report in relation to the incident on Tuesday.

Speaking on Wednesday at a meeting of the council, DUP member Ketih Kerrigan said the graffiti was disappointing, especially when efforts were being made to promote the town.

He said the same graffiti has appeared in other areas of Strabane.

Sinn Féin councillor Paul Boggs told the same meeting: "While there may be a contested past we can't allow there to be a contested future, and I do find it deeply regrettable that somebody would target the memorial on the Derry Road."