Bigots who plastered a park in Dumbarton with sectarian slurs hours before a charity football tournament have been slammed as “an embarrassment” and “beyond contempt.”
The sectarian messages were stuck on signs and fencing around East End Park - the host venue for Dumbarton Harp’s annual seven-a-side tournament on Saturday, which helped collect supplies for foodbank West Dunbartonshire Community Foodshare.
Messages using vile slurs aimed at Catholic people appeared on signage around the park with goalposts also vandalised.
Earlier this year anti-Catholic messages also appeared scrawled on the Denny Tank museum and Lidl in Dumbarton.
Over the weekend, members of Harp Social Club repainted the posts and covered the stickers at their own expense.
Those responsible were slammed by Dumbarton councillor Karen Conaghan, who has been campaigning for more action to be taken to combat bigotry in the local area.
The SNP member, who is set to report the incident to Police Scotland, told the Lennox: “What an embarrassment these people are to their community.
“This was a football tournament and fundraiser for the local foodbank, and it’s been targeted by vile bigots.
“It’s depressing to think we have people who hold such views in the 21st century.”
Dave Scott of anti-sectarian charity Nil By Mouth added: “The people behind this are beyond contempt.
“This isn’t about football rivalry or banter it’s just bigoted, ignorant, supremacist hatred.
“I commend Councillor Conaghan for reporting this and those involved in the clean-up.
“This was an event to support a foodbank. Think about that.
"If you are response to something like that, at a time like this is to commit hate a crime then you are a poor excuse for a human being and you deserve to be held legally accountable for your bigoted actions.
"We have been investigating who is producing these stickers and have been able in the past to have websites peddling them shut down. I hope anyone who knows who is behind this finds their voice and the offenders made to face consequences. "
Police Scotland are understood to be investigating the incident.
