Boy admits defacing war memorial with racist word

A 12-year-old boy has admitted scratching a racist word on a war memorial.

The Tommy soldier silhouette, which forms part of the Marlowe Way Memorial in Royal Wootton Bassett, was defaced with graffiti on 21 March.

The boy, from Swindon, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was later interviewed under caution where he admitted the offence.

Due to having no record of any previous offending, Wiltshire Police said the boy was dealt with out of court, engaging with a community resolution with conditions to pay monetary compensation. He must also write a letter of apology and engage with restorative justice meditation.

Serving as an alternative to taking the offender through the formal court system, community resolution is an informal police procedure used in England and Wales to handle minor crimes and anti-social behavior.

The life-sized Tommy Statue has been used across the country to pay tribute to UK soldiers killed in conflicts.

PC Kyle Lloyd said: "Understandably, this incident caused upset amongst the local community, especially considering the town was bestowed its royal title following the outpouring of gratitude paid by the townspeople during the military repatriations."

"For young people with no prior offending history, restorative justice gives us a chance to address harm early, build accountability, and prevent a single mistake from defining their future," he added.

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