‘TOTTALY unacceptable’ graffiti has been sprayed onto an Islamic community centre and place of worship.
The South Essex Islamic Community Centre, formerly the Barge Inn pub, in Vange, has been vandalised.
Red graffiti stating “should be pub” was scrawled on the side of the centre on Monday evening.
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Councillor Yetunde Adeshile has called out the unknown culprit and is urging for respect to be shown to the centre.
“We are here as a community to build relationships with each other and to live with each other as good neighbours,” she said.
“That kind of stuff does not demonstrate good neighbourly character and we cannot tolerate it here in the town.
“It is totally unacceptable and rude. They have just got here, and it is tough enough for them moving into a building people were attached to, it’s hard on them, and hard on everybody, but what we have is a good group of people making use of a building that would otherwise be vacant.
She added: “We have to learn to accept each other for who we are. It’s not about what religion someone is, we should all be valued as individuals. We must make Vange a place for everyone.”
The centre had been a pub for 200 years before serving its last drinks in 2013.
A pub of some sort has existed at the corner of High Road and Clayhill Road in some form or another since 1840.
Before the Barge, it is said a pub at the site was named ‘The Man with Seven Wives’.
The building had lain vacant until the South Essex Islamic Trust stepped in to convert it into a community centre.
The plans were initially refused and then withdrawn with concerns about parking and noise on the site proving a stumbling block.
Altered proposals were finally approved by the council in September of last year.
The trust has since submitted a revised application to extend the opening hours to 4am – 12.30am, having originally been granted permission to open from 7am – 11pm, but is expected to be rebuffed by councillors.
The South Essex Islamic Trust has been contacted for comment.
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