Appeal to find man after swastika graffiti scrawled on football club sign

Police have released an image of a man they want to identify after racist graffiti – including a swastika – was repeatedly scrawled on a sign at a football club.

Between July 21 and August 9, an unknown man repeatedly wrote “grossly offensive” racist remarks on a Dulwich Hamlet Football Club entrance sign. The graffiti appeared on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays each week at around 5am and 6am.

Staff at the club repeatedly cleaned the graffiti off but eventually replaced the sign and installed CCTV to monitor it.

On August 9, the CCTV captured a man writing on the sign again and went to challenge him. A member of staff took the man’s photograph and shared it with police.

Dulwich Hamlet FC club chairman, Ben Clasper, said graffiti began appearing after the club began clearing and seeking the area surrounding the stadium.

He said: “We were shocked to see the graffiti escalate from attacking us for cutting back vegetation into disgusting extreme racism and anti-immigration comments.

“The repeated visits in the early hours suggest this man is local to the area.

“We hope this information, and the photograph will help someone in our community to identify him so the police can take further action.” 

The image has been circulated “on an internal database”, the Met said, but the man has not yet been identified.

Investigating officer Police Constable Nicolas Wilson, who polices in East Dulwich, said: “I won’t repeat the things the man has been writing but they are far right and anti-immigration in nature. They are hugely offensive and distressful to local people and the staff and players at the club.

“Dulwich Hamlet FC are a pillar of the community and it is unacceptable that their property is targeted like this.

“The man is very likely local and I am sure someone will know who he is. If you do, please contact us immediately.”

Anyone who knows who the man is should call 101 or contact @MetCC on X ref CAD 1605/09AUG24.

Pictured top: The Man police want to speak to in connection with the incident (Picture: The Met)