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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Damien Edgar

Homophobic, pro-Nazi graffiti appears in Co Down village

Graffiti containing homophobic and anti-Semitic messages has been spray-painted on property in Dromore, County Down.

The messages are being treated as a hate crime by the PSNI, which said they appeared sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning.

In a separate incident, several election posters, belonging to the DUP, UUP, TUV and SDLP were tampered with, with a trail of blood left across one poster.

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"Police investigating criminal damage at a number of locations in Dromore are appealing for information," a PSNI spokesperson said.

"Graffiti daubed in black paint appeared on a number of fences and walls in the Gallows Street/Hillside Street area of Dromore sometime overnight from Friday, 28 April.

"The criminal damage is being treated as a homophobic and anti-Semitic hate crime.

"On the same evening, damage was reported to a number of election posters in the town.

"Enquiries are continuing. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting 571 29/04/23."

The graffiti in question contained an infamous Nazi slogan, as well as messages targeting the LGBT community.

Sammy Morrison, a TUV candidate for Lagan River in Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council saw his poster damaged but also left with blood across it.

It is not clear whether the person or people behind the damage intended for the blood to be smeared on the poster.

"My own position is that there is often too much fuss about posters and candidates tend to make a mountain out of a mole hill," Mr Morrison said.

"Posters for all political parties should of course be left alone and interference with them is a crime which should be reported to the PSNI. That said, I would stress that I think they have more important things to be dealing with.

"The graffiti and imagery which appeared on walls in the town is much more concerning and I trust that the PSNI will have success in apprehending those responsible.

"The attempt to link some of the damage to supposedly Christian sentiments is particularly reprehensible and something all true Christians would find especially offensive.

"I would add that this incident should not be used to blacken the good name of the people of Dromore who are universally sanded and angered by what has taken place."

DUP Alderman Paul Rankin, whose own poster was also damaged, condemned the incidents and said he was working with police to try and identify those responsible.

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