Guards of Honour group say they will defend Portsmouth's war memorials from vandalism - and are backed by 86-year-old campaigner Jean Louth

Jean Louth's words come as a group has been set up to ‘defend’ war memorials in Portsmouth from vandalism, and has said it is non-violent.

Mrs Louth, 86, lobbied for 27 years to commemorate those from the city who died in the Second World War by putting their names on the memorial in Guildhall Square.

She told The News: ‘If anybody started defacing the memorial or tried to do anything nasty to it, I would be angry.

‘Those people died for us, they died for our freedom and they should be respected.’

There are heightened tensions around the country this weekend, with protests scheduled. A demonstration planned for London has seen the statue of Winston Churchill boarded up after it was sprayed with graffiti earlier this week.

Those behind Guards of Honour Portsmouth UK, set up in the wake of graffiti daubed on the Cenotaph in London, said they will stand in front of war memorials.

Members of the organisation, which has quickly amassed 2,700 people on a Facebook group, are due to be in Guildhall Square on Saturday afternoon.

The founder, a British armed forces Afghanistan veteran who did not want to be named, told The News: ‘We’re not there for anything other than standing in front of the cenotaph.’

He added: ‘We have to take everything as it comes, we will contact the police and let them know what we’re doing.’

Asked how the group would prevent any graffiti, the 38-year-old Portsmouth man added: ‘We don’t want to let it turn to violence, and if it does then it could more be someone just needs to be restrained and let the police deal with it.’

The veteran said he had ‘nothing against Black Lives Matter’ and added: ‘The people looting and rioting aren’t standing for what Black Lives Matter are standing for. They’re the ones breaking off – and that’s the one we’re trying to stop.

‘What happened in America (to George Floyd) was awful and they should have their voices heard.’

Anyone causing problems will be ‘weeded out’ tomorrow, he said. The man added: ‘I have drummed it into them so much that I don’t want people walking around in Portsmouth football colours making it look like a thug show.’

Plans for an anti-racism protest tomorrow have faltered, he said, but his group would still attend. He said he acknowledges there may be no-one who wants to deface memorials in Portsmouth.

Many in the group are veterans who say they will wear berets and medals to make clear they are not out to cause trouble.

Inside the group on Facebook, there is criticism of London mayor Sadiq Khan with one person posting an image of him mocked up as excrement.

Others plan to take their children to the Guildhall Square cenotaph tomorrow.

Veteran Gary Weaving, who runs Forgotten Veterans UK at Fort Cumberland, posted: ‘I myself sadly have had to do a passionate (broadcast) live yesterday about veterans not going to London on Saturday because it has already been hijacked by undesirables, who would be quick to get us tarnished with the same brush with the use of violence and aggressive behaviour.’

He added: ‘I’m 100 per cent peaceful and only want to be involved with people that are able to control themselves and keep a professional manner when tested.’

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