Hove blue plaque commemorating Churchill vandalized Brighton News

The perpetrator of the vandalism is unknown.

The act sparked outrage on social media, with some condemning the vandalism as “completely stupid”.

In a comment on a Facebook post, Conservative Councilor Robert Nemeth said he alerted the plaque committee, whose chairman will deal with the defacing.

A spokesman for the council said the blue plaques are the property of the owner of the building they adorn and the council is not responsible for cleaning the plaque.

After initially starting boarding school in Berkshire, Churchill transferred to Miss Thomson’s Preparatory in Hove.

Later, he thinks back to this time with emotion and declares: “In this school, I was allowed to learn things that interested me: French, history, a lot of poetry by heart, and especially the horseback riding and swimming.

Prime Minister for nearly nine years, Winston Churchill is best known for his leadership during World War II and is widely regarded as one of the most important figures of the 20th century.

Although often ranked as one of the greatest prime ministers in UK history, Churchill has become an increasingly controversial figure in recent years, with criticism over his imperialist views, his government’s response to the Bengal famine – where at least two million people died, and for his comments on race.

A statue of Winston Churchill near the Houses of Parliament in London had the word ‘racist’ spray-painted during Extinction Rebellion protests in September 2020.

A mural in Russell Square, Brighton, featuring seven images of Churchill wearing different colored stockings and suspenders and giving the V for the victory sign, was saved from painting in 2020.

After an initial protest from the council calling for the image to be changed due to a complaint about the famous hand gesture, they later reversed their decision, as the gesture was “historically authentic”.