Oxford: Graffiti removed from city centre war memorial

Graffiti left on a city centre war memorial has been removed after vandals defaced the monument. The vandalism on the Tirah Memorial in Bonn Square, Oxford, was first spotted on Thursday. Black paint had been sprayed on the memorial, with the word “thives” [sic] written across it. Officers from Oxford City removed the graffiti from the monument on Friday. Duncan Taylor, who first reported the vandalism, said it was “particularly concerning” with Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day under a month away. The obelisk was erected in 1900 to commemorate the 64 men of the Oxfordshire Light Infantry who died on service in the Tirah Region – in what is now north-west Pakistan. The 25ft (7.6m) tall monument was the first war memorial to be erected in Oxford. Thames Valley Police said it was not aware of the incident.