Man arrested after racist graffiti scrawled Dulwich Hamlet FC sign

Detectives investigating racist graffiti that was scrawled across a sign of a south London football club have made an arrest.

Between Sunday, 21 July and Friday, 9 August a man repeatedly wrote offensive racist remarks on an entrance sign at Dulwich Hamlet FC, including a swastika.

A man, 64, was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of racially-aggravated criminal damage and displaying writing with intent to stir up racial hatred.

He was taken to a south London police station where he was questioned before being bailed pending further enquiries.

The Met described the graffiti as "hugely offensive" far-right remarks which were daubed outside the stadium on Champion Hill.

The graffiti appeared on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays over the three-week period between 5am and 6am.

The Isthmian League Premier Division said it had repeatedly cleaned the graffiti off the sign, but has now had to replace it and install CCTV to monitor the area for intruders.

PC Nicolas Wilson, who polices in East Dulwich, previously said: "They (the graffiti) are hugely offensive and distressful to local people and the staff and players at the club."

He described the club as a "pillar of the community" and said the attacks on its property were "unacceptable".

The club previously said it believed recent work to clear and weed an area around the stadium had led to the comments first being left.

Dulwich Hamlet FC Club chairman, Ben Clasper added: "However, we were shocked to see the graffiti escalate from attacking us for cutting back vegetation into disgusting extreme racism and anti-immigration comments.”

The Met said the club had been notified of the arrest.