A food van has been accused of “insulting Britain’s war dead” after it parked in front of a Falklands memorial.
The Cod Fellas fish and chip truck blocked the site of remembrance on Tuesday when it was serving food for wedding guests.
Local residents branded it an “act of gross disrespect” which “polluted” the monument, dedicated to the 128 personnel and civilians killed in the conflict.
Richard Turpin, from Portsmouth, was “deeply offended” by the “moral failure”, especially given it occurred just weeks before Remembrance Day.
Mr Turpin, who lost a friend in the conflict, said: “To find a fish and chip can parked directly in front of this sacred wall, blocking the names of the fallen and filling the air with the smell of frying oil is utterly disgraceful.”
He added: “The fumes, noise and stench of commercial cooking polluting a place of remembrance is beyond comprehension.
“It’s an act of gross disrespect, not only to the memory of those who died, but to their families, comrades, and everyone who still comes here to pay their respects.”
The wedding the truck was serving was at the Square Tower, a Grade I-listed fortification at the mouth of Portsmouth Harbour.
Mr Turpin continued: “This memorial is not a marketplace, photo backdrop, or convenient spot for a food business.
PICTURED: The memorial is dedicated to the 128 personnel and civilians killed in the 1982 conflict
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MEMORIALS AND MONUMENTS IN PORTSMOUTH
“It’s hallowed ground, a place of solemn reflection where people come to remember the brave men who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to this nation.”
In defence, the owner of the van said he was told to park in front of the memorial by staff members from the Square Tower.
Based in Rushden, Northamptonshire, Mr Singh, who declined to give a first name, said: “When we arrived we were told to park in front of the pier doors.
“If we were there, we would have blocked the entire passage to the pier. We parked up, I rang the organisers, and they said we were fine where we were.
HONOURING OUR FALLEN – READ MORE:
The memorial in Portsmouth is located beside the Sally Port next to the Square Tower
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“I totally understand why people are upset. If we were told to move the van, we would have moved it.”
Steve Pitt, Leader of the Liberal Democrat-run Portsmouth city council, promised it would not happen again.
He said: “It had no permission from Portsmouth city council to be there. It was genuinely a mix-up. The council would have never allowed it.
“It was completely inappropriate, and measures will be put in place to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
A spokesman for the Square Tower said: “We would like to sincerely apologise for the incident in which a catering van was temporarily parked in front of the Falklands Memorial during a private wedding event at the Square Tower.
“The Square Tower management – Steve Hender, Julia Hender and William Owen – take full personal responsibility for this mistake and fully understand the upset and offence it has caused, particularly within the Falklands and wider veteran community.
“We give our absolute assurance that this will never be allowed to happen again, and we have reviewed our event procedures to ensure it cannot reoccur.
“As a gesture of respect and by way of amends, we are making a donation to a veterans charity in recognition of the importance of the memorial and those it honours.”