Pride banners attacked in Gloucester

Police are investigating after Pride banners in Gloucester have been repeatedly damaged in suspected hate crime attacks.

Both the incidents happened outside of Gloucester Quays shopping centre.

In the first incident on Saturday 10 June, a man scrawled homophobic graffiti on a Pride banner at around 7.45am.

Two days later, at around 4.35pm on Monday 12 June, two men and an older woman pulled down three vinyl banners outside of the shopping centre.

They were then seen heading in the direction of Southgate Street.

PC Steph Lawrence, County Hate Crime Coordinator at Gloucestershire Constabulary, said: “We will not stand for this harmful rhetoric or hateful behaviour which aims to intimidate and hurt our communities.

“The majority of people in Gloucester are hugely supportive of the LGBT+ community and we will ensure that everyone feels that the city is a safe place for them.

“We will continue to work with our partners to ensure our county is the safest and most tolerant.”

Officers would like to speak to anybody who witnessed the incidents or has information about the people responsible.

You can contact police through the Constabulary website, quoting either incident 139 of 10 June for the graffiti incident or 399 of 13 June regarding the banners being pulled down: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/contact/af/contact-us/us/a-crime-that-has-already-been-reported/