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Calls have been made to respect the city’s Cenotaph amid claims it has been urinated on, seen groups of people sitting on it and anti-social behaviour linked to the monument.
Preston City Council has reminded people the city’s war memorial is ‘a space of respect, remembrance and community reverence.”
Video footage which surfaced on YouTube appeared to show where parts of the monument had allegedly been urinated on. The city council said there was no verification of these claims.
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But they did say “common sight to see people eating lunch on the front steps, leaning against the back to roll cigarettes, and resting bikes against the stone columns that hold the surrounding chains” despite the Cenotaph’s ‘solemn significance’.
New a-board signage has been put out around the Cenotaph to encourage people to ‘respect this space’ and ‘honour our heroes’.
Leader of Preston City Council, councillor Matthew Brown said: “The Cenotaph is not only a monument but a symbol of the sacrifices made by countless individuals for the freedoms we enjoy today. It is our responsibility as a community to ensure it remains a respected and valued space for all who come to remember.
“Through this campaign, we aim to foster a renewed sense of pride and awareness, reminding everyone of the importance of treating this site with the respect it deserves.”
It’s a decade since the grade-I listed Cenotaph was restored at a cost of more than £800,000.
Colonel David Waters president, Lancashire Armed Forces Association, who has been a key advocate for the campaign, said: “Our Cenotaph deserves respect because it reminds us of the sacrifices made by Preston’s men and women to protect what we hold dear – our homes, our way of life, and our British values.
“By honouring it, we honour our community; disrespecting it is disrespecting ourselves. Keep it clean, keep it tidy and treat it with care. Never forget what it stands for.”
The campaign comes as the city council prepares to start enforcing its new Public Space Protection Order which is aimed at cracking down on anti-social behaviour, street drinking and other issues in the city centre.
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