Man arrested in hate crime investigation after Jewish memorial in Hove vandalised

A man has been arrested after a Jewish memorial in Sussex was vandalised.

Tributes, teddy bears and flowers were damaged in Palmeira Square in Hove on the eve of October 7.

Sussex Police arrested a 58-year-old man from Hove on Monday 7 October on suspicion of racially/religiously aggravated criminal damage after footage of the incident was circulated online. He remains in custody at this time.

Detective Superintendent Ben Newman, Sussex Police, said: "We understand that this incident has caused great upset within many communities, and we would like to reassure the public that our investigation team is working hard to gather all the facts and bring this matter to a positive conclusion.

"If you witnessed the incident, or have information to report to us, you can contact police online or by calling 101 quoting reference 158 of 4/10."

Around 1,200 Israelis were killed, including 797 civilians and 36 children, and 250 others were taken hostage on 7 October 2023 in a series of attacks by Palestinian militants.

A number of commemorative events took place on Sunday and more are planned for Monday, including one in Hove's Palmeira Square.

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