Resident Bąsros Rańtis said he was ‘very upset’ to see the graffiti on Sunday, February 4, which this publication has seen a photo of.
He said: “Today I go for a walk around Barrow Island, I was very upset to see racist word in children playground.”
Cumbria Police said that it was in the process of recording the crime and contacting the council to remove the graffiti.
A spokesperson from the police said: “Cumbria Police take all reports of hate crime extremely seriously.
READ MORE: Racist graffiti drawn in Barrow centre
“Anyone with information relating to this incident can report online at www.cumbria.police.uk/report-it, quoting incident number 112 of 5 February 2024. You can also phone on 101.
“The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 created specific laws around offences that are racially or religiously aggravated. Both the criminal damage and the act of displaying abusive writing in public can be aggravated under this legislation, which carries a higher maximum sentence for an offender at court. In addition, the Sentencing Act 2020 instructs the courts to treat offences targeted against a person’s race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity as an aggravating factor, which again may lead to a higher sentence being imposed.
“Cumbria Constabulary remain committed to supporting victims of hate crime and ensuring that the perpetrators of these offences are brought to justice
“Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.”
Sophia Newton, the communications director for Anti Racist Cumbria, said: “Whenever acts like these happen we often hear it was simply ‘kids messing about’ to cause a reaction rather than harm. Often we hear ‘they didn’t know what it meant’. However, regardless of the level of knowledge or the proposed intent, the impact these hate crimes have on communities can be far-reaching.
“It can make people feel unwelcome and unsafe, particularly those who visibly stand out due to their ethnic background or religion. If left unchallenged this kind of overt racist hate speech creates an atmosphere of distrust and hate within communities and broadcasts that it is an easy target, somewhere easier to spread dangerous and divisive ideologies.
“We know Barrow does not want racist hate speech or symbolism in the streets. We ask all communities to be vigilant in both reporting and especially the quick removal of racist slogans, symbols and pictures. There is no space for hate in Barrow or anywhere.”