Statement from Mayor Brenda Dacres

The incident that took place in Southport last week is heartbreaking and I know that members of the Lewisham community will be deeply affected by it.  

Our thoughts are with the victims of the attack. We offer our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those whose lives have been lost and who have been injured in the attack. 

The violent disorder and intimidation that has followed across the country is despicable and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms. There is no place for hate, racism or Islamophobia in our society and we must all come together and be united in condemning these acts of violence. 

I am especially concerned to see Muslim and minority communities being targeted. I want to send a message of reassurance to everyone in our borough that we will not stand for such acts, and we will do all we can, working with our communities and our partners, to ensure all of our communities feel supported, regardless of faith or background. 

As the UK's first Borough of Sanctuary, we have a proud history of welcoming immigrants and directly challenging any hostile behaviour directed towards minorities in Lewisham. It is now more important than ever that we stand together united against hate. 

Alongside increased patrols by the police and our community safety teams, the Council will be writing to and visiting places of worship across the borough this week to see what more we can be doing together to provide reassurance to our communities.  

The Government has announced it is providing rapid additional support through the Protective Security for Mosques scheme and we encourage those places of worship eligible to apply. 

If you do witness a hate crime then please report it. It is extremely important that those sowing hate and division in our society feel the full force of the law.  

Reporting a hate crime

• in an emergency, call 999 and follow the ‘run, hide, tell’ advice
• for non-emergencies, call 101 or visit your local neighbourhood police station
• report hate crimes online via Report It

We urge anyone who witnesses or experiences hate incidents to report them, even if not immediately.  

If you witness a crime or are in immediate danger, call the Police on 999.  

For non-emergencies, contact the police 24/7 at 101 or online at Report a Crime. 

For anonymous crime reporting, call Crime Stoppers at 0800 555 111.