Poppy wreaths stolen from cenotaph

The wreaths are thought to have been removed from the cenotaph at The Diamond in Derry city centre during the early hours of Monday, following Remembrance services on Sunday.

A police spokesperson said a male suspect was seen dropping the wreaths and fleeing the scene in the incident described as theft motivated by sectarian hate.

“Police were alerted to the incident at around 12.40am,” they said.

“Officers responded and a male suspect – described as being around 6ft tall – was seen dropping the wreaths and running off in the direction of the Bogside.

“Police recovered the wreaths, and inquiries are ongoing.”

They added: “The incident is being investigated as theft motivated by sectarian hate and anyone who may have information or footage which could assist inquiries is asked to report it to police by calling 101, or by using the witness appeal form https://reporting.psni.police.uk/appeals, quoting reference 26 of 09/11/26.”

Information can also be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling its 24/7 contact centre on 0800 555 111 or by visiting its website Crimestoppers-uk.org.

Foyle MP Colum Eastwood condemned the incident.

“It’s really disappointing that we have once again seen poppy wreaths stolen from Derry’s war memorial,” he said.

“This is a shared city and people commemorating should be given space without worrying about incidents like this.

“I’m glad that police were able to recover these wreaths and hopefully return them to the cenotaph.

“The people responsible should understand that targeting a memorial in this way does nothing to build the mutual respect our city needs.

“People in Derry know only too well the importance of remembrance and the respect that carries.

“It’s also important for whoever is behind this incident to stop and think about what they’re doing. If we are serious about building a New Ireland, that must involve acknowledging events like this and providing space and support for them to be marked.”