CREDITON Police say they are continuing to investigate who burned the poppy wreaths at the Crediton town and Hamlets War Memorial during the night of Sunday, November 9 or early on Monday, November 10 – and have also issued a further appeal for assistance in trying to trace who set fire to them.

It was at about 1.15am on Monday, November 10 that police were called to the war memorial by a local man who saw two youths setting fire to the wreaths placed at the memorial.

The youths, a boy and girl, aged around 14 or 15, both wearing hooded tops, ran from the scene through Newcombes Meadow.

Local officers plus a dog unit conducted a search of the area but the two suspects could not be found.

At the time, Mid Devon Police Inspector Jane Alford-Mole, said: "This is a deeply upsetting crime which will personally affect many of the residents of Crediton.

"The wreaths had been placed by a number of individuals and groups who are closely connected to the Act of Remembrance including the Crediton Women's Institute, Devon and Cornwall Police as well as the family of a Crediton Lance Corporal, who died earler this year after serving in Afghanistatn.

"The wreaths suffered burn damage and there are a number of scorch marks on the war memorial.

"This is a sickening act of mindless vandalism and we are desperate to identify those responsible."

She issued an appeal for witnesses and since that date, the wreaths have been replaced.

There was strong condemnation of the mindless vandalism across the community.

REMAIN CALM

Crediton Police Sgt Dave MacFadden, Neighbourhood Team Leader, told the "Courier" this week: "We are continuing with our enquiries and have spoken to and eliminated several local people from our investigation.

"We have followed up leads supplied to us by members of the public and social media sites. The people we have spoken to have provided alibis of their whereabouts during that evening, which have all been verified.

"We have a couple more people we would like to speak to. I ask all sections in our community to remain calm and not jump to any conclusions about who they think has done this crime while we are continuing to investigate this matter.

"We are trying our best to identify those people responsible. This is proving difficult at present due to the lack of witnesses that have come forward so far and that the area of the war memorial is not covered by CCTV.

"It remains challenging for us to move forward with any speed to detect this offence.

"I would ask all your readers to help us try and identify those responsible.

"We all need to keep an open mind about who may have committed this crime and stick to the facts that we have at this stage and they are:

• We believe that there were two people involved in this incident

• We don't have any confirmed age or gender

• They were at the war memorial at approximately 1am on the Monday morning

• When challenged by a member of the public the two suspects ran off in different directions

• One of them ran off down into the Newcombes Park

• One of them ran off down towards Union Road and East Street

• One of them was believed to be wearing a shoulder bag or rucksack

"I would ask that if anybody saw any of these individuals in or around those areas at that time of night to make contact with us.

"I would also ask that everyone ask themselves the question "Do they know where everyone, who lives in their household was between 1am and 2am on the Monday morning?

"This is an unusual time of night during the week to be out and about.

"I believe somebody, somewhere in Crediton knows who this could be and I ask them to come forward with any information by either contacting us direct at Crediton Police Station, telephoning 101 or emailing: [email protected]">[email protected] or calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, which is anonymous, quoting crime reference CR/121125/14."

Alan Quick