Hackney mayor condemns ‘abhorrent’ graffiti in Clissold Park as police launch hate crime probe
Clissold Park. Photograph: David Holt
Hackney’s mayor has hit out at “abhorrent” vandalism in a local park after swastikas were painted in a children’s playground over the weekend.
The Metropolitan Police are investigating a hate crime incident after Nazi-era symbols were daubed on rocks in Stoke Newington’s Clissold Park on Sunday 20 April – the last day of Passover.
Speaking to the Citizen, the Met said enquiries were ongoing.
Swastikas were painted on the rocks in the children’s playground in Clissold Park. According to @Clissoldpeople park management is aware, signs have been put up, and the specialist cleaning team has been informed. pic.twitter.com/JdJrdE8Wov
— Stokey Updates (@StokeyUpdates) April 20, 2025
Mayor Caroline Woodley told residents that officers were out on Sunday night and on Monday morning to remove the “abhorrent” graffiti.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she said: “Everyone should feel safe to #play in #Hackney”.
Clissold is flanked by two Jewish institutions — Kehillah North London community centre from its south eastern corner, and Adath Yisroel synagogue to its north-east.
I won’t share the abhorrent graffiti that defaced this play area but wanted to let concerned residents know that @hackneycouncil teams were out last night and again this morning to remove it. Everyone should feel safe to #play in #Hackney #NoPlaceforHate pic.twitter.com/gu50CCHnMa
— Mayor of Hackney (@mayorofhackney) April 21, 2025
Ward councillor Fliss Premru called the incident a “disgusting act which we will not tolerate in our community”.
She told the Citizen it had been “swiftly reported by Clissold Park users and quickly dealt with by council and park team”.
“The police were alerted as soon as possible.”
Her fellow Clissold councillors were also contacted for comment.
Cllr Susan Fajana-Thomas, the borough’s community safety and regulatory services lead, said: “Hackney Council strongly condemns the hateful graffiti that appeared in a local play area this week.
“This behaviour is completely unacceptable and has no place in our borough.
“We are committed to ensuring that everyone in Hackney feels safe in our public spaces, especially places designed for children and families. We’re also working closely with partners, including the police, to investigate this matter and take any further necessary action.
“We encourage residents to report any hate crime or hateful vandalism by contacting the police on 101 or report via hackney.gov.uk/crime-and-safety.”
The Clissold Park User Group told the Citizen: “We are appalled by the recent vandalism of the parks playground, involving highly offensive symbols and phallic images being spray painted on various surfaces, and paint being poured down the slide.
“We thank Hackney Council for working through the night to fix the damage and remove the images.
“We hope the offender or offenders will be apprehended, and that all visitors will feel safe to enjoy the park, as the much loved community space that it is.”
Since March 2023 there have been 443 recorded antisemitic hate crime incidents in the borough, according to Met police data.
Update: this article was amended at 8.38pm on Tuesday 22 April 2025. The number of recorded antisemitic hate crime incidents in Hackney since March 2023 is 443, rather than the 3,185 stated previously.
Update: this article was amended at 3.15pm on Wednesday 23 April 2025 to include a comment from Clissold Park User Group.