Condemnation of headstone vandalism (From Ealing Times)

Condemnation of headstone vandalism

7:10am Tuesday 30th September 2008 in

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A LOCAL Muslim man has condemned the vandals who smashed dozens of graves in a Southall cemetery over the weekend.

More than 40 graves of Muslims were wrecked on Saturday night when vandals pulled out headstones and smashed vases and gates around various grave sites.

Dalawar Chaudrey, whose father is buried in the cemetery on Bridge Road, said the damage was a “callous calculated act”.

He said: “I was there yesterday and it was just a callous calculated attack to coincide with the very holy month of Ramadan when everybody’s fasting.

“This is an outrageous and unacceptable attack on our community. People have paid a lot of money to have their relatives buried there, and this is not acceptable.”

The restaurateur, who owns Chaudrey’s TKC in Southall Broadway, said there had been a campaign going on for three years to get Ealing Council to clean up the area.

He said: “We have been on to them about problems of prostitution and drug use and drinking down there. But nothing has been done.

“We need regular patrols, CCTV and they need to replace the wall there with a metal fence so people can see into the graveyard. This attack just adds insult to injury.”