Anzac war graves dedicated to New Zealand soldiers who died in the World War I have been defaced with spray paint at a cemetery in London.
Local councillor Jane Palmer sais she was moved to tears aftger discovering the vandalism yesterday at Harefield churchyard in Hillingdon, west London.
She took photos of the graffiti attack and reported it to police.
Harefield ANZAC graves desecrated for second time this year https://t.co/N3ZyllE2mS pic.twitter.com/8CPwkFKe4x
— Uxbridge Gazette (@UxbridgeGazette) November 22, 2015
There are 120 World War I graves at Harefield Park (St. Mary) Churchyard for Kiwi and mainly Australian troops who died at the nearby No. 1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital.
Each grave is marked by scroll shaped headstones, chosen by the staff and patients at the hospital.
"In tears this morning at this desecration," Ms Palmer wrote as she posted photographs of the graves on social media.
London's Met Police have asked for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.
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.
Ms Palmer said she had received offers of help to clean the headstones, and though she was "touched by your kindness", the Commonwealth War Graves Commission would take up the task.
- By Kurt Bayer of NZME News Service
