Police probe three vandalism incidents at Manchester Jewish cemetery
Thirty headstones toppled as police investigate 'hate incident' which may have caused 'thousands of pounds' worth of damage
Police are investigating three separate incidents of vandalism at a Jewish cemetery in Manchester, with the most recent causing “thousands of pounds worth of damage”.
More than 30 headstones were pushed over at Urmston Jewish Cemetery in Manchester on Sunday, following two other reports of criminal damage at the site on 7 and 14 May.
Greater Manchester Police said they are investigating the separate incidents and “the spates of vandalism are being treated as hate incidents”, but no arrests have been made.
The police are investigating CCTV footage to identify offenders and patrols in the area have been increased.
The Community Security Trust said they’d been contacted over the issue, saying in a statement: “To desecrate graves in this way is a despicable act that causes huge upset to the whole community, and particularly to families whose loved ones are buried in the cemetery. We are working closely with the Police and the burial authorities to see what can be done to catch the perpetrators and to prevent further damage. We call on anybody with information about who might be responsible to contact the Police or CST.”
Local councillor Joanne Harding took to Twitter posting a picture of the most recent incident. She said: “Just been to inspect Urmston Jewish Cemetery with care taker. Imagine going to see your relatives graves and find it trashed and disrespected. Thousands of pounds worth of damage . Meeting police to review security.”
Just been to inspect Urmston Jewish Cemetery with care taker. Imagine going to see your relatives graves and find it trashed and disrespected . Thousands of pounds worth of damage . Meeting police to review security . ( they were happy for me to share pictures to raise awareness) pic.twitter.com/AheWul1c0u
— (((Joanne Harding))) (@Joanne13Harding) June 12, 2018
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
