A Scottish Conservative MSP has urged the Scottish Parliament and SNP ministers to ensure that this is the last Remembrance Day without a strict and specific law to crack down on louts who vandalise war memorials.

Meghan Gallacher has been authorised to pilot her Desecration of War Memorials Prevention Scotland Member’s Bill through Holyrood after the consultation period closed on October 31.

Her bill, which would bring the law in Scotland into line with that in England and Wales, seeks to create a stand-alone offence of vandalising a war memorial, carrying greater punishment, up to and including imprisonment.

Ms Gallacher believes the law is essential to crack down on the increase in the number of cenotaphs being defaced in Scotland in recent years.

While her bill is scheduled to be debated in parliament, she says the backlog in member’s bills passing through the parliament makes the timetable uncertain.

She has urged SNP ministers to make an amendment to current legislation, incorporating the new offence, as the quickest way to get it on to the statute book.

The Central Scotland MSP said: “I’m delighted that my bill has moved a step closer, and I’m confident it will be passed because it’s not party-political – it’s simply about decency and respect.

“I want this Armistice Day to be the last without a specific offence being in place to act as a deterrent to any ignorant lout who might be considering desecrating a war memorial in Scotland.”

Scotland has more than 5,000 war memorials and although only 66 attacks and incidents of vandalism have been recorded since 1966, almost 70% of those have happened within the last decade.

Recent cases included one where graffiti reading ‘fascists’, ‘rats’ and ‘scum of the earth’ was scrawled on the memorial stone in 2019 requiring a specialist stone mason to restore the memorial.

In 2021, a petition was submitted to the Scottish Parliament on behalf of Friends of Dennistoun War Memorial calling for desecration to be made a specific offence after their memorial was fire-bombed and vandalised.

Ms Gallacher said: “This is desperately needed because the number of mindless attacks on them in Scotland has depressingly spiked in recent years.

“I hope my bill will proceed through parliament in time for next November but there’s a backlog of member’s bills, so the easiest way to guarantee the law is in place is for SNP ministers to add it as an amendment to existing legislation.”

She added: “Vandalising a war memorial is not like daubing a lamppost or bus shelter with graffiti – moronic though that is. It’s deeply offensive and disrespectful to our fallen heroes.

“Desecrating a monument to those who made the ultimate sacrifice should not be tolerated. Tougher punishment needs to be meted out for those who do so, to mirror the position in England and Wales.”

In response to the petition, the Scottish Government said existing vandalism legislation means perpetrators can face up to six months in prison or fines of up to £5,000. A spokesperson said: “We recognise these monuments carry huge significance for many in our communities.”

Top of page: Remembrance Sunday service at the cenotaph in  Helensburgh.