A Jewish-owned business in Stamford Hill was vandalised overnight.
The Metropolitan Police are treating the incident as “racially aggravated criminal damage” and have increased local patrols.
The property company, located in the heart of the strictly Orthodox community of north London, had its windows smashed, computers and furniture destroyed, and red paint thrown across the shopfront. The pavement outside was marked with the slogan “Drop Elbit” – an apparent reference to Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems.
In CCTV footage of the incident, two vandals dressed in black approach the business. One smashes the shopfront with what appears to be a hammer, before the other sprays red paint from a canister that says Palestine.
The Stamford Hill business, situated less than 150 metres from the nearest synagogue, is owned by members of the strictly Orthodox Jewish community.
Rabbi Herschel Gluck, president of Shomrim and a lifelong Stamford Hill resident, called the attack “a very disturbing development”. He said the owners were “in shock” and devastated when they saw the damage on Thursday morning.
“Look at the property, these people did a full monty on it, they didn’t spare anything. They smashed up the shop, everything – including computer, tables, chairs – everything was destroyed,” he said.
Shomrim, a charity that provides security in Orthodox areas, was called as soon as the damage was discovered and the Metropolitan Police were notified shortly afterwards. The force was seen gathering statements from locals and collecting evidence from the scene of the crime.
“When something like this happens to a space that you own, that traumatises a person,” Gluck added. “It is traumatic seeing scenes like that.”
