Overview
- Officers received reports on Tuesday, 16 December of white paint thrown over a menorah painting on Westbourne Grove at 16:03 and of a Holland Park menorah found unable to light up around 17:00, after being installed on Saturday, 13 December.
- Both incidents are being treated as religiously aggravated hate crimes, with enquiries in the early stages and investigators keeping an open mind about any link between them.
- Detectives are reviewing CCTV and conducting door-to-door enquiries, and the public is asked to call 101 quoting CAD5183/16Dec and CAD5739/16Dec with any information.
- Community groups, including the Community Security Trust, condemned the vandalism and voiced concern following the recent Hanukkah terror attack in Australia.
- Police also confirmed a separate Muswell Hill menorah case as religiously aggravated criminal damage, and no arrests have been reported.