Two Jewish schools covered in red paint in suspected hate crimes
No arrests have been made while an investigation has been launched by the Met Police
Two Jewish schools in north London have been splattered with red paint in what police are treating as hate crimes.
Officers attended the Beis Chinuch school in Stamford Hill at 9am on Monday after paint was thrown over the door and gates.
The incident is understood to have taken place shortly before 7am on Thursday, with police also investigating a second incident at another school in Woodberry Down which was also doused in paint.
A security guard was standing outside the entrance to Beis Chinuch Girls School on Monday, which teaches children aged two to 16, as red paint could be seen splashed over where pupils park their scooters.
He told The Independent: "It is because of the situation on the news but these children have nothing to do with it, of course. What did they do?
"It was very early in the morning and I can’t be here all the time. We have cleaned up the staff entrance but the children all saw the red paint on the gates. It’s not nice for them as they come in. It’s not only here it is happening."
A spokesperson for Shomrim, a neighbourhood watch group for Jewish communities, added: “There were two schools in total and what we can say is that it’s the same suspect, it’s a female and we’re hoping to apprehend the suspect shortly.”
Chaim Hochhause said that the neighbourhood watch group had been receiving “loads of hate crime calls” in recent days and urged the Jewish community to be “vigilant”.
It comes after the Met Police said they had seen a “massive increase” in antisemitic incidents since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor: "Last year in the period of 30 September to 13 October, we saw 14 antisemitic incidents and 12 antisemitic offences, this year in that same period, we’ve seen 105 antisemitic incidents and 75 antisemitic offences.
"That is a massive increase in antisemitic crime and incidents.
"In balance, we have seen an increase in Islamophobic incidents, but nothing like the scale of the increase in antisemitism."
A spokesperson for the Met said: “We are investigating incidents at two Jewish schools and treating these as hate crimes.
“At 9am on Monday 16 October officers attended a school on Lordship Road, N16 after reports that red paint had been thrown onto the school building.
“Police attended the scene, and spoke to a member of staff at the school. Police were told that the incident took place on Thursday 12 October at 06:51hrs.
“Police are aware of a second incident at a school in Woodberry Down N4, in which paint was also thrown onto the school building. We are investigating whether these two incidents are linked.
“The incidents are being treated as hate crimes, at this early stage there have been no arrests, and the investigation is ongoing.”
Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway, who leads policing in Hackney and Tower Hamlets said: “We have had extra police patrols in the area since the attacks in Israel to provide reassurance. We are working closely with our partners in the Community Security Trust, the Shomrim, Hackney Council and other key local partners.
“These incidents will be robustly investigated and we have been clear that we have a zero tolerance for hate crime.”
Anyone with any information please call 101 stating CAD5621/15OCT23 (Lordship Road) or CAD 4143/16OCT23 (Woodbury Down)