Cemetery Vandalism Classed As Hate Crime

11 February 2019, 09:20 | Updated: 11 February 2019, 09:22

Damage to a Jewish Cemetery in Bury is being treated as a hate crime.

Police were called out to Old Hall Lane in Whitefield on Saturday morning where three separate chapels within the cemetery had been damaged - including a prominent headstone.

Two windows were smashed along with a number of sinks and CCTV was also stolen from within one of the chapels.

It's thought to have happened between midday on Friday and early Saturday morning.

Superintendent Paul Walker, of GMP's Bury division, said: "We have launched an investigation and whilst the CCTV has been destroyed by the offenders - clearly in an attempt to cover their tracks - I can assure you that we have a team of dedicated officers working to piece together exactly what happened in an attempt to find those responsible.

"I understand that this incident will have caused distress to many members of our community and we are working alongside our partners including Community Security Trust to ensure that those affected are fully supported.

"We are treating this incident as a hate crime and I want to send a clear message that incidents of this nature will never be tolerated in our communities. I would encourage anyone with any information to get in touch as soon as possible."