Portsmouth veteran disgusted after repeated urination and littering at Southsea Naval War Memorial - council leader calls behaviour 'appalling'

The man, who asked to remain anonymous, said he has seen people urinating, smoking, having barbecues and littering at Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Southsea Common on numerous occasions and has taken photographs which appear to show pools of urine and burnt grass nearby.

He has campaigned passionately about disrespectful behaviour at the site in recent years and estimates that he has reported the issue to Hampshire police more than 30 times.

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He said: ‘I was walking through the war memorial and a group of drunk people had taken it over with a loudspeaker. They’d placed disposable barbecues onto the grass within the memorial and were burning the grass. It absolutely stinks of urine at the moment. It’s quite a grim place for people visiting. The smell would burn the hairs out of your nose.’

The man, who has strong family ties to the the military alongside his own service, has campaigned in previous years and urged local MPs to tackle the issue. The past few years have seen the site become a hotspot for vandalism and even cases of defecation.

He added: ‘There just never seems to be a resolution. People don’t even know what it is anymore, that’s part of the problem. They just see it as a place to go and hang out. You get a lot of drug abuse in there as well.’

Responding to a report made on June 1, a Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary spokesperson confirmed that officers attended while on patrol but did not identify any offences.

Councillor Steve Pitt, leader of the Portsmouth City Council with responsibility for culture, said: ‘The Naval War Memorial is important to many people in Portsmouth and beyond, and it is hugely disappointing that a small minority of people behave in such an appallingly disrespectful way. The Naval Memorial is a very special place and is looked after by the War Graves Commission, and I would urge people to treat the memorial and the area around it with the respect it deserves and to remember what it means to people whose family members gave their lives for their country.’

Commonwealth War Graves Commission UK and Northern area director James King said: ‘The Portsmouth Naval Memorial commemorates by name over 24,500 Commonwealth naval servicemen and women who lost their lives at sea, and it is in a prominent location on Southsea Common.

‘It serves as a reminder of the great sacrifices made by those who fought and died in the World Wars so has a significant footfall which we welcome. Sadly, it is clear several people have vandalised and misused the monument as a urinal. It is dismaying to see photos of the monument showing areas of urine-soaked stone along with remnants of a fire. This appalling and totally disrespectful behaviour is completely unacceptable.

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‘In the last few days, CWGC’s mobile maintenance team attended the site to inspect and clean the affected areas of memorial. CWGC are working closely with the local authority to protect and maintain the memorial and conversations are ongoing to together establish ways to prevent such acts of vandalism in the future.

‘The CWGC hosts regular tours and events to educate the public about the war memorials and graves in our care. War Graves Week in May saw thousands attend engaging events across the UK and in September CWGC will be a hosting an Open Day at Portsmouth Naval Memorial that all are welcome to attend with the hope of inspiring greater pride and respect for the memorial.’