Woolwich Terror Attack: 'Islam' Graffiti Removed from London Memorials

Work is under way to remove pro-Islamic graffiti from two war memorials in central London after vandals daubed them with blood red paint.

There was anger when the word "Islam" was discovered painted on the RAF Bomber Command memorial in Green Park and on the Animals in War memorial in nearby Hyde Park.

Black sheeting was used to cover up the graffiti before efforts to restore the two memorials got under way. Police are treating the incidents as criminal damage.

The attack on the RAF memorial was condemned by veterans' organisations

Douglas Radcliffe MBE, secretary of the Bomber Command Association, told IBTimes UK: "We are very disappointed that someone has moved away from the freedom we give them in the country which was won by the more than 500,000 young men who died in WW2. They are disgraceful."

Westminster Council is leading efforts to erase the graffiti from the brickwork.

Cllr Ed Argar, the cabinet member for city management, said: "We deplore any act of vandalism or graffiti that desecrates memorials put in place to honour those who fought for our country's freedom.

"We will do everything we can to clean and restore the memorials as swiftly as possible."

The Bomber Command pavilion where the memorial is located opened last year in memory of the 55,573 servicemen who were killed during World War II.

It happened during the same weekend as a march in London by far-group EDL, in protest at the murder of Lee Rigby by suspected Islamists.