THE memorial plaque stolen from Bridge Street, Warrington, earlier in the year has been returned to its rightful place.
A memorial to the victims of the 1993 IRA bombing, it forms part of the River of Life feature unveiled by the Duchess of Kent as a symbol of continuing life.
It was recovered as a resultof a joint operation involving the police and the borough council and following a public appeal.
The two men responsible for the damage and theft were identified on CCTV and attended a Restorative Justice conference in July to account for and make amends for their actions.
They are now carrying out unpaid community service work.
Cllr Mike Hannon, deputy leader of the borough council, said: “CCTV played a critical role in identifying the two men responsible and a heartfelt thank you goes to those staff who spent a considerable amount of time studying hours of footage.
“At the time of the theft, we received an overwhelming number of offers of support and donations from individuals and business and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all for their generosity and kindness.”
Cllr Terry O’Neill, leader of the council, said: “The River of Life is such an important part of our heritage and we are delighted that the plaque has been returned to us. Warrington was shocked and disappointed when this happened and we believe that the Restorative Justice conference and the plaque being retuned to Bridge Street is the best outcome for everyone involved.”
Chief Superintendent Richard Strachan of Cheshire Police said: “It is really pleasing to see the River of Life plaque back on Bridge Street.
“Those responsible for taking the plaque have been through the restorative justice process, have been held to account for their actions and are now engaged in work to compensate the local community.
“I hope this sends a strong message to anyone who thinks it is acceptable to damage or steal items that are an important part of our heritage that this sort of behaviour is not acceptable and positive action will be taken.”
Memorial plaque is back in place
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
