Ulster Unionist MLA and former soldier Doug Beattie MC MLA has described the attack on the Lurgan Somme memorial as a despicable act.
Doug Beattie said:
“This is a despicable and disgusting act of vandalism. There is surely nothing more disrespectful than attacking a memorial dedicated to the memory of all those who fought and often died so that we could all have the freedom which we enjoy today.
“When you stop to think about the horror our soldiers at the Somme actually went through it saddens me that thugs could come in and deface the memorial in an instant. The mindless idiots who carried out this attack are the polar opposite of brave men commemorated by it.
“This was quite clearly a hate attack carried out with the intention of heightening tension in the Lurgan area before the summer period. It’s essential therefore that the people responsible for this attack are identified and brought to justice as quickly as possible and that the community remains calm and does not fall into the trap being set.”