Northern Ireland

Plaque highlighting Blitz damage disappears from former Belfast Telegraph building

A plaque at the front of the former Belfast Telegraph building has disappeared. Picture by Hugh Russell
A plaque at the front of the former Belfast Telegraph building has disappeared. Picture by Hugh Russell A plaque at the front of the former Belfast Telegraph building has disappeared. Picture by Hugh Russell

A plaque highlighting damage caused by German air raids during the Second World War has disappeared - days after the Belfast Blitz was marked.

The small plate had been screwed into the wall at the front of the former Belfast Telegraph building on Royal Avenue.

It drew attention to lingering 'scars' on the masonry below - caused by the 1941 blitz.

However, a post on the Belfast Telegraph Old Friends page on Facebook expressed disappointment that it appeared to have been taken down.

"This sign was firmly secured to the wall beside some of the blitz damage and was of interest to both locals and tourists as they passed by," it read.

"As an integral part of the building, which I believe is listed, it must surely have remained in place.

"Very disappointed to see that this part of our Second World War history has been taken."

The inscription on the plaque read: "The scars on this stone were caused in the German air raids of the Second World War.

"Despite severe damage to building, the Belfast Telegraph was published without interruption."

Police said they have received no reports of vandalism but "have been made aware and are making enquiries".

Belfast was one of 16 cities across Britain and Northern Ireland to suffer during the Blitz. The Luftwaffe carried out four raids between April 7 and and May 6 1941.

The night of Easter Tuesday - April 15/16 - witnessed what is thought to have been the worst wartime raid outside London.