Ripon gravestones vandalised with military symbol graffiti

Police are looking for witnesses after graves were covered in pro-war symbols

Gravestones in a North Yorkshire cemetery have been vandalised with military symbols, police have said.

The front and back of some headstones in Ripon Cemetery were daubed with swastikas and the Russian "Z" symbol.

North Yorkshire Police's Insp Alex Langley said the act was "particularly upsetting for the large military community in Ripon".

Extra police patrols have been put in place in cemeteries in the area according to the force.

Police said the graffiti was "particularly upsetting" for the military community in Ripon

As well as the letter "Z", seen as a pro-war Russian symbol of President Putin's invasion of Ukraine, and the swastika, the initials IRA have also been scrawled on some stones.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said members of the public had been left "shocked" by the vandalism.

Ripon was home to the Army's Claro barracks, which closed in 2017, and had billeted troops in World War One.

Anyone with information about the incident has been urged to contact police.