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Man is detained under the Mental Health Act after a Jesus statue on a Warrington war memorial was beheaded

The beheaded Jesus statue on the Warrington war memorial, which Cheshire Police have classified as a hate crime after vandals also spray-painted anti-Catholic graffiti across its plaque on the evening of Friday, 30 October.
The beheaded Jesus statue on the Warrington war memorial, which Cheshire Police have classified as a hate crime after vandals also spray-painted anti-Catholic graffiti across its plaque on the evening of Friday, 30 October.

A man in his 50s has been detained under the Mental Health Act after the attack on St Alban's Catholic Church in Bewsey, Warrington, in which the head was knocked from a crucifix war memorial and anti-Catholic graffiti was sprayed across the plaque, just days ahead of Remembrance Sunday. Cheshire Police had classified the incident as a hate crime after a member of the congregation found the damage on Sunday morning.

Canon Christopher Cunningham branded the attack 'evil' and 'true persecution' of Jesus and the Catholic Church.

Police believe the memorial was targeted between 6pm and 10pm on Friday, October 30, with several other incidents reported in the surrounding area that same night.

The memorial records the names of parishioners from the local area who lost their lives in both World Wars; a church volunteer scrubbed the offensive graffiti from the plaque before Remembrance Sunday.

MoreYahoo News UKMan detained under Mental Health Act after Warrington war memorial vandalisedThe TelegraphVandals decapitate war memorial’s Jesus statueThe SunJesus statue on war memorial is decapitated by vandals & splashed with paint leaving parishioners ‘upset’GB NewsJesus statue smashed and anti-Catholic graffiti sprayed on war memorial ahead of Remembrance Sundayliverpoolecho.co.ukCCTV appeal after war memorial vandalisedBBCWar memorial statue depicting Jesus vandalised at Warrington church - BBC
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