Councillor Taylor commented:
“Not less than a week after poppy wreaths were desecrated at Narrow Water, we now have the occurrence of the same despicable action at Newry Cenotaph.
“The local community are understandably disgusted at this incident and are very clear that the perpetrators of this shameful act do not speak for the vast majority of citizens in Newry.
“This was reflected in the fact that a cross section of the Newry community assisted with the retrieval of the wreaths from the river.
“There are still some unfortunately who are determined to try and cause division, driven by a narrow sectarian mind-set and it is sickening to see a Cenotaph targeted in this way as they pursue their warped agenda.
“I would appeal to anyone with information on this hate crime to report it to Police immediately to ensure that those responsible for this heinous action are brought to justice.”