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Two arrests after CCTV shows people 'damaging wreaths and dancing on cenotaph'

"Dancing on a memorial that remembers people who gave their lives for us is disgusting behaviour."

People dance on wreaths left to honour soldiers at Cenotaph 

Police have arrested a man and woman after commemorative wreaths were vandalised at the Manchester cenotaph.

The pair, both 20, were detained after CCTV operators spotted people damaging commemorative decorations at the war memorial in St Peter’s Square in the early hours of Wednesday.

GMP say two people were seen pulling artificial leaves and poppies from wreaths before throwing them on the floor and dancing on them.

Officers were alerted at around 2.40am and arrested a man and a woman 10 minutes later.

Both have now been bailed until next month pending further enquiries.

And officers were out early on Wednesday morning assessing the damage and cleaning up the mess.

City centre chief Pat Karney said: "Dancing on a memorial that remembers people who gave their lives for us is disgusting behaviour.

"They need to apologise for this insult and do work for the British Legion Poppy Appeal."

It is just one shocking incident at the cenotaph this year, with council chiefs forced to beef up security around the landmark, beside Manchester Town Hall.

In August, a man was caught on CCTV kicking wreaths at the memorial.

The smartly dressed man was captured kicking the wreaths and performing a ‘running kick’.

He was fined £90 and offered to do voluntary charity work for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

Just weeks later, a drunken woman was caught on CCTV kicking and trampling on poppy wreaths at the cenotaph.

Watch: Woman wrecks wreaths at cenotaph

Police said the 21-year-old ‘couldn’t believe her actions’ when she had sobered up. She was issued with a caution for public order.

In February a man was caught urinating on the cenotaph.

Caedmon Kerr, 24, from Wythenshawe, was handed 200 hours of unpaid work by a judge who branded his behaviour ‘disrespectful’ and ‘disgusting’.

Watch: Man caught urinating on the cenotaph in Manchester city centre

The vile acts of desecration at the city centre war memorial have sparked outrage among M.E.N. readers and current and retired military personnel.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said about the latest incident: “Police were called at 2.40am from the CCTV control room to a male and female seen damaging wreaths at the cenotaph.

“They were apparently seen pulling leaves and poppies from the wreaths and dancing on them.

“A 20-year-old male and 20-year-old female were arrested at 2.50am. They have since been bailed until January for further enquiries.”