LONDON: Organisations looking after two privately funded war memorials in central London that were attacked by vandals have condemned the action.

The word “Islam” was quickly covered up after the graffiti was discovered early on Monday at the Royal Air Force Bomber Command memorial in Green Park and the Animals in War memorial in nearby Hyde Park. Both are made of Portland stone.

The London Metropolitan police and Royal Parks officers are treating the incidents as criminal damage and no arrests have been made.

The Bomber Command memorial, built at a cost of six million pounds and which has a three metre-high bronze structure of seven airmen returning from a bombing raid, commemorates the 55,573 air crew who died in action during the Second World War.

It was opened by Queen Elizabeth last year after a long campaign to honour their memory. Private sponsors and donations from members of the public funded the memorial, which also has an inscription commemorating civilian lives lost because of the raids.

Dame Judi Dench last week described herself as very proud to be the first patron of a new campaign by the RAF Benevolent Association for its upkeep.

The animal memorial, built at a cost of two million pounds, includes two bronze mules, a horse and dog and the silhouettes of other animals that served in British, Commonwealth and Allied armed services carved into the stone wall of the edifice, which is 17.7 metres wide and 16.8 metres deep.

Ed Argar, council cabinet member for city management, said: “We deplore any act of vandalism or graffiti that desecrates memorials put in place to honour those who fought for our country’s freedom. We will clean and restore the memorial as swiftly as possible.”

By arrangement with the Guardian