VANDALS who desecrated Evesham’s War Memorial with drug-related graffiti have been branded as “morons” by the town’s mayor.

The graffiti, on the memorial in Abbey Park, has been reported to the police. Although most of the area is covered by CCTV, those responsible for the vandalism have not yet been identified.

Mayor of Evesham Jim Bulman said he was disgusted by whoever had spray-painted images on the war memorial.

“I am disgusted at some moron who has defiled this monument,” he said.

“This is the town’s way of paying respects to people who paid the ultimate price for freedom. The freedom these morons enjoy should be taken away from them. Something should be done about them, they have no respect.”

The images sprayed on the memorial appear to be of three faces – two of animals and one of a person smoking marijuana.

Jeff King, chairman of the Royal British Legion’s Evesham branch, said: “It is about time the offenders are charged for the damage. They have no respect.

“By damaging the monument they are insulting the people who have helped them do the things they are able to do today. I am absolutely devastated. It is shocking and I can’t understand it at all.”

The memorial is owned by Evesham Town Council and town clerk Frank Green said the council will clean the monument as quickly as possible. He said: “We abhor anybody doing anything like that to the war memorial. And, it also costs a lot of money to clean.”

It is not the first time the war memorial has been targeted. In the past the bayonet held by the soldier statue has been stolen and the monument has suffered other attacks of graffiti.

Evesham police Sergeant Phil Stayte said they were investigating the incident which was reported to them on Wednesday, December 28, at 11.15am.

He said: “We have no witnesses at the moment but we are working with the community to see if anybody saw anything.

“Hopefully someone will have a pang of conscience and come forward.”

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call police on their new non-emergency number 101.