A Royal British Legion branch has offered a cash reward to whoever helps find the graffiti artist who vandalised a Stone war memorial.

Greenhithe and Swanscombe RBL is offering £100 for information leading to the arrest of the thug responsible for spraying the word ‘Doze’ in white paint on the memorial in Stone recreation ground.

Branch treasurer Graham Mentor-Morris said: “Basically these maggots have absolutely no idea what they are doing.

“The freedom to go out there and do their own thing was given to them by the names on that memorial so I find it absolutely disgusting.

“Quite honestly if the police get them before we do they’re going to be very lucky.

“I have got some graffiti on my own back wall and I take it with a pinch of salt but when they do war memorials that is a different ball game altogether.

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Left to right: Greenhithe and Swanscombe RBL chairman Alan Nimmo, Councillors David Mote and John Burrell and Graham Mentor-Morris. 

“The phrase ‘hung, drawn and quartered’ springs to mind.”

Stone Parish Council ground staff discovered the graffiti on Monday (September 22) and it is thought it was done over the weekend.

The council is also undertaking a quest to find 'Doze', and is urging members of the public to come forward with any information about who might be responsible.

Council chairman John Burrell said: "This is a disgraceful act by someone with clearly no respect for the soldiers who fought valiantly and lost their lives for our freedom.”

With just over six weeks until the parish remembrance service, the memorial garden is due to be enhanced with the installation of four new memorial stones.

They will feature the 118 names of Stone's First World War soldiers and will be unveiled on November 9.

Anyone with information regarding this incident should contact Kent Police on 101, quoting crime reference number 22-11-11.