Shock at Exmouth Pride banners knife slashing

Organisers call incident 'troubling and unnerving'

Five banners promoting Exmouth Pride event were slashed with a knife.

Organisers said they found the vandalism “troubling and unnerving”, but that last Saturday’s event, was well-attended and offered its usual upbeat atmosphere.

Chris Everall, part of the Exmouth Pride event team, said finding five banners slashed was a “shock to everyone”.

“We managed to repair them as best we could only to find them further damaged just a few days later,” he said.

“Banners belonging to other organisations nearby were not vandalised. We took pictures to give an indication of the ferocity of the attacks.

“Given the current climate, we found this troubling and unnerving.”

Mr Everall said the event, aimed at the LGBT+ community, nevertheless had its “usual great atmosphere”, but that with the “growing amount of intolerance” Exmouth Pride was “glad we had additional security at our event this year and we were pleased at the support of our local police in these matters”.

Cllr Eileen Wragg (Liberal Democrat, Exmouth Town), East Devon District Council’s equalities and diversity champion, said the council promoted equal rights regarding race, gender and opportunities for all residents.

“This hateful behaviour has no place in our community, which is renowned as a welcoming and caring part of the world in which peaceful living is its hallmark,” Cllr Wragg said.

“Freedom is treasured here, and if the perpetrators of this despicable act want to keep theirs, then they must stop immediately or risk losing their own freedom.

“We appeal to anyone witnessing or having knowledge of crimes such as this to contact the police immediately. We do not tolerate intolerance to others.”

Last year, police investigated the theft of Exmouth Pride banners that were stolen just days before the event.