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A man has been arrested after damage was caused to a Pride display in Hatfield town centre.
Police received a report on Thursday evening (28 September) that a Pride display outside the Isobel Hospice shop had been vandalised. Two posters with anti-LGBT+ messaging and offensive symbols on them had been attached to the display.
CCTV enquiries were carried out and a suspect was identified. Further hate material has also been seized as part of the investigation.
Chief Inspector Kash Hussain said: “The following morning, we arrested a 35-year-old man from Hatfield in connection with the incident. He has been bailed with strict conditions.
“We know the impact crimes like this have on communities and we have organised a stall in the town centre on Saturday to chat to residents and give out safety advice. There will be a particular focus around hate crime and support to the LGBTQ+ community.
“This sort of behaviour has no place in Welwyn Hatfield and I want to stress to the public that we take hate crimes extremely seriously. I hope that the news of this quick arrest reassures our communities that we will always support you.
“I’d also like to remind people to always report any incidents like this, even it seems small to you. It can help us build up intelligence and take action before a crime occurs.
“If you have been left concerned by what happened, please do come along to the stall on Saturday where officers from the Safer Neighbourhood Team will be on hand for support.”
For support around hate crime visit the Herts Against Hate website (opens in a new window).