A blue plaque commemorating the life and legacy of tragic David Oluwale in Leeds was stolen less than five hours after it was unveiled, West Yorkshire Police (WYP) have confirmed.
The force yesterday (Tues) confirmed it had launched a hate crime investigation after the plaque was removed from its spot on Leeds Bridge in the city centre on Monday. And in an update today, WYP said officers believe it was stolen between 9.30pm and 9.55pm.
WYP said CCTV footage has shown the area was busy at the time and officers are now keen to speak to anyone who took pictures of the plaque within that timeframe. Anyone who thinks they may have seen any suspicious activity between 9.30pm and 9.55pm should also contact the force.
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Boats equipped with magnets were seen searching the River Aire for the touching tribute yesterday. A live grenade was found during the search, prompting workers to be evacuated from Asda House in Great Wilson Street.
Speaking yesterday, Leeds District Commander, Chief Superintendent Damien Miller, said: "It is truly appallingly that someone would remove the plaque commemorating the life of David Oluwale, and we recognise the significant impact that this act will have had on all those involved in keeping David’s memory alive and on the wider community.
"The timing clearly suggests that this has been a deliberately targeted act and we are classing this as a hate crime. We are treating this incident very seriously and have detectives from Leeds District CID carrying out extensive enquiries to identify who is responsible and to locate and recover the plaque.
"Leeds Bridge is in a busy area in the heart of the city centre and we would urge anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity or who has any information that could assist the investigation to contact us immediately."
The blue plaque was unveiled on Leeds Bridge at 5pm by Leeds Civic Trust and the David Oluwale Memorial Association. Both the trust and Remember Oluwale have expressed their upset at the theft.
David was last seen being chased by two police officers before he died on April 18, 1969. He had travelled to the UK from Nigeria, where he was targeted because of his race, mental health and homelessness. His death led to the first time the British police were prosecuted for their involvement in the death of a Black person.
Anyone with information on the plaque's theft should contact police on 101, quoting crime reference 13220222118, or online here.
