The LGBTQ+ community of Forest Gate in London have reacted after the local council was forced to remove Pride flags after they were repeatedly vandalised.
Flags, including the Progress Pride flag and Trans Pride flag, painted on the ground outside Forest Gate station, were vandalised four separate times in June and July 2024.
Rob Desroches, founder of Forest Gate Pride, said: ‘It’s really tragic it happened – it felt like we were being attacked everytime we walked to the Co-op.
‘The flags were in place for four years before it all started, but a month after they were put in someone wrote “save our children” on top of one.
‘After the fourth time, we and the council agreed we should just remove them and look to install something different.
‘It’s really unfortunate that one person has ruined it. Before this the area didn’t feel homophobic, but now we are noticing a lot more derogatory comments online. It’s like people feel they now have permission to be horrible.
‘But this has brought the queer community closer together. On the day they were taken off we had the wraps installed on the lampposts so there wasn’t any point there wasn’t pride imagery in the area.’
Detectives launched an appeal to find a man, wearing a hoodie and face covering, caught on CCTV covering the flags in black, white and red paint.
But police have said after being unable to identify any suspects they have closed the investigation, and the council has given up restoring the flags.
The Metropolitan Police said: ‘The Met takes all incidents of homophobic and transphobic hate crime, including criminal damage, extremely seriously.
‘A thorough investigation was held following four incidents in 2024 in which painted Pride flags were vandalised in Forest Gate.
‘No suspects have been identified and the investigation has been closed. If any new information is provided to police, this will be assessed.’
Anyone with information can contact police by calling 101 or visiting www.met.police.uk, quoting reference 2433/23Jun. Alternatively, you can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or CLICK HERE.