Vandals 'desecrate diggers' legacy' by trashing Anzac Day crosses laid by the loved ones of fallen veterans at a war memorial
- A war memorial the commemorated fallen veterans has been trashed overnight
- Crosses were scattered across the lawn of the Queanbeyan Information Centre
- Shocked local Glen Croker posted a video of the plot to Facebook on Thursday
- The crosses had been laid by the loved ones of fallen veterans during Anzac Day
A war memorial commemorating fallen veterans who died in combat has been left in ruins after vandals trashed it overnight.
The memorial, which consisted of more than 100 commemorative crosses, were found strewn across the lawn of the Queanbeyan Information Centre on Thursday.
Shocked local Glen Croker posted a video of the damage to the Queanbeyan Community Notice Board on Facebook, along with the caption 'Disgusting'.
The memorial, which consisted of more than 100 commemorative crosses (pictured), were found strewn across the lawn of the Queanbeyan Information Centre on Thursday
'Someone last night has had the privilege of decimating the legacy, the memorial,' Mr Croker said in the video.
'Whoever done it, good work!'
The crosses were laid by the loved ones of fallen veterans during Anzac Day services.
'It’s something that’s close to my heart,' Mr Croker told Daily Mail Australia.
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Queanbeyan Legacy secretary Suzanne McInnes, whose father has a cross at the site, told ABC News the veterans' relatives will be saddened to hear of the incident.
'It's really sad that people can do these sort of things and probably don't even realise what the significance of them are,' Ms McInnes said.
She added the disgusting vandalism is akin to desecrating a gravesite.
While the incident was a shock, Ms McInnes said it's not the first time the site has been targeted by vandals - eight times in recent years to be exact.
The crosses (pictured) had been laid be the loved ones of fallen veterans during Anzac Day services, and a chain that bordered the plot was also broken
'Sometimes it's just a few crosses, sometimes it's the entire garden taken around the outside of the Information Centre and dumped in a birdbath,' she said.
Queanbeyan-Palerang Mayor Tim Overall told the publication it will be difficult to locate the culprits given that there isn't CCTV cameras at the site.
Despite the crosses being replaced - albeit slightly damaged - Cr Overall said he was still saddened to hear the desecration occurred in the first place.
'They've (the crosses) got names on them, of family and relatives who have given their lives so it's very disappointing and disrespectful to say the least,' he said.
