Police have arrested two teenage boys in connection with neo-Nazi graffiti which appeared in Headington on Saturday.
The graffiti featured swastikas and references to Friday’s far-right terrorist attack in New Zealand, in which a 28 year-old man gunned down 50 worshippers at two Christchurch mosques.
Councillor Tom Hayes responded to the arrests on Twitter, stating: “Excellent and speedy response by @TVP_Oxford to the daubing of hateful images on a wall.
“Reassuring (to an extent) that organised Far Right extremism is not behind the incident. Oxford will go on being watchful for such extremism. Deeply worrying that children would do this.”
The suspects, aged 14 and 15, have been referred to the Youth Justice Service.
Police reported that the 14 year-old “was also interviewed about a similar incident in Headington in November.”
Last November, Councillor Shaista Aziz discovered two swastikas painted on the wall of a Headington community centre. Police have not confirmed whether this is the incident in question.
Councillor Aziz said at the time: “Absolutely disgusted to see Nazi signs sprayed on a wall and building in Oxford this morning on route to dropping my nieces off at school. This is how hate is normalised.”
