Attack on historic monument 'sectarian hate crime'

The attack is believed to have happened early on Monday morning

One of Londonderry's most historic monuments has been splattered with paint in what police have described as a sectarian hate crime.

Walker’s Plinth on the city walls is believed to have been targeted in the early hours of Monday.

A statue of the city's governor during the Siege of Derry, George Walker, stood on the plinth for almost 150 years until it was blown up by the IRA in 1973.

Darren Guy, who works at the nearby Siege Museum, said the attack was “shocking and appalling”.

Around 100 young people were due to take part in tours that end on the plinth this week, the Siege Museum says

Mr Guy, an Ulster Unionist councillor and the city's deputy mayor, said those responsible “would seem to be filled with sectarian hatred”.

He said he was "shocked" but what he saw when alerted to the attack early on Monday morning.

“It seems the plinth has been hit by 14 or 15 separate paint bombs,” he told BBC News NI.

“Our tours of the walls end on the plinth. This week alone we are due to have close to 100 young people coming here, young people from both sides of the community, groups from the USA and from Canada and this is what they will see,” he said.

The plinth has been targeted before, he added, but described this as “the worst attack that I have ever seen”.

Walker's Plinth is situated on the Derry walls

'Designed to raise tension'

Foyle MP Colum Eastwood condemned the attack, describing it as being " designed to raise tension" in the city ahead of the Twelfth of July celebrations.

“People in Derry want to live in peace with one another," he said.

"This kind of attack is about raising tension in the city in the run up to the Twelfth and no one wants it.

"The people responsible have no support and need to go away."

He appealed for anyone with influence "to lower the temperature" and "make sure that the coming week passes off peacefully".

"Our city is built on a foundation of mutual respect and accommodation of all traditions," he added.

Democratic Unionist Party MLA Gary Middleton said the attack was "unacceptable and appears to be an attempt to heighten tensions in the run up to the Twelfth of July".

"I would appeal to people not to respond in any way," he said.

"This is a prime time for the city in terms of tourism and the plinth is an important, key aspect of telling the history of the city.

"To wake up today to see this is completely unacceptable."

The police said the incident was reported to police at around 11:30 BST on Monday and is being treated as “a sectarian hate crime”.

They have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

The monument has previously been daubed with paint and graffiti

The plinth is all that remains of the statue of George Walker, built in 1826 to commemorate his role in the Siege of Derry.

Reverend Walker governed the city during the 1689 siege.

It is seen as a pivotal moment in the history of Ireland, Britain and Europe and lasted 105 days.

More than 10,000 people died, the majority of them civilians.

It took place against the background of the deposed Catholic King James II's attempt to regain his crown from his Protestant son-in-law, King William III.