Police hunt for suspect after Pride flags were vandalised in ‘homophobic and transphobic hate crime’

The Metropolitan Police has launched an appeal after three Pride flags were vandalised in East London.

The flags, painted on the pavement outside Forest Gate railway station, were vandalised in the early hours of Friday morning. This follows previous incidents of damage on June 23 and 26.

Officers have trawled CCTV, made house-to-house inquiries and conducted forensic investigations, but no arrests have been made.

The incidents are being treated as linked, and inquiries are ongoing, the force said.

As part of the appeal, police released an image of the suspect spraying paint on one of the flags. Detective Inspector James Rush from the North East Public Protection Unit, who is leading efforts to identify the offender, appealed to the public for information.

DI Rush said: “We believe that the same person committed these offences, which we now know took place at between 05:00hrs and 05:30 on Sunday, June 23 and at about the same time on Wednesday, June 26. As our investigation continues at pace, we have today issued an image of a person we would like to speak to in connection with the offences.

“If you think you may recognise the person shown in the image, maybe they are a customer at your shop, or live nearby, I would urge you to contact my team. I understand providing information to police can be intimidating, but I can reassure the public that any information provided will be handled sensitively. If you would rather provide information anonymously, please contact Crimestoppers.

“We stand with the local LGBTQ+ community and will not tolerate these disgusting, inexcusable hate crimes in Forest Gate…The Met is clear that there is no place for hate in London, and my team are already working at pace to complete all lines of inquiry.”

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Co-founder of Forest Gayte Pride Caron Harrison said: “Once again the LGBTQI+ community in Forest Gate and further afield is appalled at the defacing of our flags.

“We have had an amazing amount of love and support from our many allies and are hopeful that this person will be caught and dealt with.

“They can try to intimidate us and paint over our flags but they cannot paint over our pride.”

Anyone with information has been asked to contact police by calling 101 or via the Met Police website, quoting reference 1117/17JUL24.

Dr Andrew Diver, also from Forest Gayte Pride, said this is “at least the fifth time” the flags have been defaced with anti-LGBTQ+ abuse.

Dr Diver told PinkNews he believes the police are “going to step up their actions” and the incident is “definitely been taken much more seriously than the other ones.”

The Labour MP Uma Kumaran for Stratford and Bow wrote on social media: “Sadly, once again, the flags in Forest Gate have been defaced. I will do everything in my power to tackle LGBT+ hate crime. I know the fear and hurt this causes. I’ll work with Newham Council, local police & the Minister for equalities on this.”