Gay MP offers to ‘sit down’ with vandals who painted ‘pedo’ on his office

A gay MP said he was targeted with homophobic graffiti that called him a ‘pedo’ in the latest in a series of attacks on his constituency office.

Labour MP Luke Pollard has reported the incident to police but said he would be willing to ‘sit down and talk’ to those behind the abuse.

Writing in red capital letters, vandals spray-painted the words: ‘Pollard is a pedo’ and ‘repopt that (sic)’.

Speaking to Metro.co.uk, the Plymouth Sutton and Devonport MP said it is the second time in a week that his office has been targeted, with vandals writing ‘Die Blair’ on his city centre office last Sunday.

In July, a man was jailed after threatening to rape Mr Pollard’s staff who were working at the office.

Mr Pollard has refused to be silenced and said the attack is not representative of his city.

He said: ‘There is no place for this kind of stuff.

‘There is a tiny minority of people who are very angry at the moment but my offer to sit and chat about it still stands.’

He continued: ‘I am the first MP to have an office in the city centre and the vast majority of the time it is a really positive thing.’

Various MPs have sent supportive messages to Mr Pollard, who is Plymouth’s first openly gay MP after winning the seat in 2017.

He wrote on Twitter: ‘My office was vandalised again this morning. There is no place for hate and abuse in Plymouth.

‘I sometimes receive hate based on who I love but I know those who peddle hate do not speak for the vast, vast majority of our city.’

He continued: ‘My offer of to sit down and talk with the individuals who vandalised my office still stands but they need to be aware that hate and abuse will not silence me and my team in standing up for our city and it’s people.’