Anger as vandals smash up First World War memorial

The brickwork on the perimeter of the Bradford Place memorial, which pays tribute to those who lost their lives in the First World War, has been struck, resulting in stones coming loose.

The memorial takes pride of place in the town centre.

• UPDATE: Walsall war memorial damage was an accident, new email confirms

Councillor Mohammed Arif, who represents the St Matthews ward, called for the perpetrators to be 'brought to justice and punished' for the actions which 'should be condemned'.

He said of the vandalism: "The actions of these vandals should be condemned.

"Attacking a monument that represents all of those people who fought and lost their lives for the good of Walsall is as bad as it gets really.

"I hope that we will look through our CCTV cameras footage for the area and catch whoever did this.

"They need to be brought to justice and punished for what they have done."

The Walsall Cenotaph pays tribute to those who lost their lives during the First World War and it has stood proud in the town centre since October 1, 1921.

It is a place for the people of Walsall to pay tribute to those who had given their lives in service of their country.

The cenotaph is where members of the public, civil dignitaries and veterans come to lay wreaths and take part in prayer at each passing anniversary of the Great War.

After it was announced on November 11, 1918, that the war was over, the council made a decision to build the memorial in Bradford Place, as well as bronze tablets for the town hall, which listed the names of the dead. A total of £9,208 was raised to make this happen, with the money also going towards memorials in Darlaston.

The cenotaph was designed by H N Martyn & CO Ltd of Cheltenham and cost around £2,000.

It stands on the site where a bomb from the famous Black Country Zeppelin Raids of January 1916 struck.

On January 31, bombs were dropped by German pilots, claiming 35 lives, including that of Julia Slater, the Lady Mayoress of Walsall, as homes and businesses were destroyed. A message on the cenotaph reads: 'To the glory of God and in love and gratitude to the men of the borough who have their lives for their country in the Great World War 1914-1918.

'This cenotaph has been erected. Their name liveth for evermore.

'Let those that come after see to it that their names be not forgotten'.

Before the cenotaph was put in its place, £150 was spent on the surrounding area so that it would be suitable to host the monument.

Minor restoration works back in 2005 saw specially commissioned, locally made bronze sculptured handrails placed on each of the three sets of steps.

Fellow councillor Doug James has offered a reward to anyone who may have information on the vandalism.

He said: "It's concerning, alarming and unacceptable. It tramples on a town's respect for their own history.

"When you have a public monument like this you have to make sure that people understand the history and respect what the cenotaph is there for.

"Anyone who has any information is welcome to come to me and I am happy to offer a small reward."

Walsall resident Antony Wellings, aged 69, from Shelfield, said the vandalism was 'disappointing' and said he didn't think people were aware of the 'implications of their actions'.

He said: "It's very disappointing that this has happened but it's the way it is these days.

"Considering how little damage there was, I don't think it was politically motivated.

"If it was more, I'd have thought it was done deliberately.

"I don't think the people who would do that would appreciate the implications of their actions."

Action will be taken to repair the damage to the wall as part of the council's annual schedule for repairing vandalism.

Walsall Council spokesperson Peter Cole said: "Walsall Council acknowledged that they were aware of the vandalism to the wall surrounding the cenotaph and that the team responsible for monuments would be planning the works required into their annual schedule."

The cenotaph stands on the site where a bomb from the famous Black Country Zeppelin Raids of January 1916 struck.

German pilots guessed they were over their intended target, Merseyside, but they were actually 90 miles south, over Tipton, Wednesbury, Bilston and Walsall.

The attack claimed the life of 55 year old Mary Julia Slater, the Lady Mayoress of Walsall.