A memorial bench with a plaque dedicated to Newcastle killer Raoul Moat that said he was "taken too soon" appeared in a seaside resort - but was swiftly removed by the council.
Taking to Twitter to share a photo of the plaque, one passerby said they spotted the strange tribute to former bouncer Moat on New Brighton front in Merseyside. The memorial read: "In loving memory of Raoul Moat, 1973 - 2010, Taken too soon, D&A xx."
The person who posted the image of the plaque confirmed that the bench was near the New Brighton fair. It is not yet known who installed the plaque or when it was even installed but Wirral Council has since removed it and confirmed it was not authorised by the local authority, the Daily Star reports.
Read more: 'We don't need another reminder': David Rathband's brother on why he won't watch Raoul Moat drama
It's been 12 years since Moat's rampage during the early hours of July 3, 2010, when the 37-year-old blasted his ex Samantha Stobbart with a shotgun before shooting and killing her new partner Christopher Brown. Less than 24 hours after the shootings, in Birtley, Moat crept up on PC Rathband as he sat in his marked traffic car and shot him twice in the face.
Tragically, PC Rathband took his own life less than two years after receiving his injuries. Moat was eventually cornered by Northumbria Police in a field in Rothbury, where he then took his own life on July 10, 2010.
In response, one user on Twitter wrote: "Surely not this has got to be some sick joke and not actually someone trying to be compassionate." While another said: "This has gotta be the result of a twisted sense of humour." The tweet has been liked more than 14,000 times, with around 972 retweets.
Responding to the picture, a Wirral Council spokesperson said: "This was not authorised or put in place by Wirral Council. As we do with any vandalism or graffiti we would investigate the report and it would be removed as quickly as possible after being reported to the council. In this case, the plaque has now been removed."
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