A Labour MP has spoken out after a “gay slur” was spray-painted onto his office, the second such incident in a fortnight.
Luke Pollard, member of parliament for Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport, posted a picture of the graffiti onto his Twitter account and invited those responsible to “sit down and talk” with him.
The words “Pollard is a pedo, report that” could be seen crudely scrawled across the window in red spray paint. The paint is now believed to have been removed by council workers.
The MP said he had received abuse in the past for being an openly gay politician, and described the message as a “common slur against gay people”.
Pollard told PA news agency: “There is no place for hate and abuse in Plymouth. When my office was vandalised last week we saw the most incredible and positive reaction from people in Plymouth.
“Lots of people dropped into the office and asked about me and my team’s safety and welfare. This latest attack and the common slur against gay people it includes does not speak for the people of Plymouth.”
He invited the vandals to meet with him, however added they needed “to be aware that hate and abuse will not silence me in standing up for our city and its people.
“The persons who did this are clearly very angry about something. The brave thing to do now is have that conversation with me.”
Pollard confirmed the incident had been reported to the police.
In a video posted on Twitter, he added: “To the individual who spray-painted graffiti on the front of my office I want to say to them, assuming they’re the same person that did it last week, sit down and let’s have a conversation.
“The way we get through this mess as a country is by building bridges, not building walls. So I want you to know the offer is sincere. Let’s sit down and talk about your concerns.
“If you’re angry enough to vandalise an office, let’s see if you’re brave enough to sit down and have a conversation.”
In a series of tweets, Pollard thanked the police, the city council and his office staff for their support.
Shadow women and equalities minister Dawn Butler tweeted her support for Mr Pollard, saying: “In solidarity Luke.”