The Labour candidate Stella Creasy has said she will not be intimidated after a window and door of her office in north-east London was smashed by an attacker.
Creasy, who is standing again for her former Walthamstow seat, posted CCTV photos of a man dressed in black who she said had attacked the office with a hammer and sprayed it with graffiti. “If you know who this is please stand up for democracy and come forward,” she wrote on X.
In another statement, she wrote: “Message to whoever attacked my office last night. You don’t intimidate me and you don’t belong in the political process.
“Same as those circulating malicious and false leaflets. Police already on this to find you – will press for the strongest penalties for such an anti-democratic attack and I know Walthamstow won’t be cowed or influenced by your violence either.”
A photo of the office front she posted showed a series of cracks in the glass door and in one of the windows, seemingly made by the hammer.
Metropolitan police said the attack appeared to have taken place between 3.10am and 3.30am on Sunday, and that an urgent investigation was taking place. They urged witnesses to come forward.
Det Supt Dion Brown said: “It is entirely unacceptable for the office of one of London’s prospective parliamentary candidates to be targeted in this way.”
A Labour spokesperson said: “We completely condemn any intimidation tactics towards candidates of any party. It is vital to our democracy that parliamentary candidates are able to campaign freely.”
Creasy’s seat is one of Labour’s safest, with a majority of over 30,000 at the last election. While the motive for the attack is unknown, like a number of Labour MPs in urban seats, Creasy has faced pressure from some locals over the party’s stance on Gaza.
