Leighton Buzzard police cars targeted with racist and homophobic graffiti

Callous vandals sprayed Leighton Buzzard-based police cars with racist and homophobic graffiti, leaving them temporarily out of action.
By Jo Robinson
Published 11th Jul 2022, 15:36 BST
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The emergency response vehicles were targeted in the early hours of Sunday morning (June 10), with the paint covering areas including windows, number plates and headlights.

Meanwhile, local businesses and buildings were also targeted during the same night.

Leighton-Linslade Town Councillor, Pat Carberry, told the LBO: "The police have a very difficult job to do and for doing their job they then become targeted with anti-social abuse.

Graffiti covered this car's number plate, headlight and front window making it unsafe to drive. Image: Bedfordshire Police.Graffiti covered this car's number plate, headlight and front window making it unsafe to drive. Image: Bedfordshire Police.
Graffiti covered this car's number plate, headlight and front window making it unsafe to drive. Image: Bedfordshire Police.
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"The resource is for emergency responses, so officers coming on duty don't have any means of getting to these places, placing the people of Leighton Buzzard in unnecessary danger.

"I think the most concerning thing is the respect aspect. It's almost as if these people are turning round and saying they 'own the streets', in an attempt to put the police 'in their place' - and that's not how a civil society should function. I spoke to the police and I know that they are in contact with local schools and trawling through CCTV."

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On Sunday, Leighton Buzzard Community Policing Team said in a statement: "The vehicles that had been subjected to criminal damage are now back on the road and able to be deployed to police the area thanks to officers working outside of their shifts to clean them up.

"The offenders are thought to have been riding bikes. We are pursuing several lines of enquiry into the damage caused.

"Our hate crime team have been notified due to the racist and homophobic comments and will take this element of the investigation forward.

"It is disappointing that as well as our our own vehicles being targeted by such mindless actions, local businesses and buildings were also graffitied overnight. Officers have cleaned up what is possible.

"We won’t tolerate such behaviour, neither the vandalism or the hate crime connected to it, and will continue to review the evidence to find those responsible."

A Beds Police spokesman added: “The incident happened at approximately 2.40am. An investigation is ongoing, and if anyone has any information or noticed any suspicious activity in the area, then please get in touch online or by calling 101 and quoting reference 115 of 10 July.