A memorial plaque for Saddam Hussein has been removed from a London park bench, but residents of the east London suburb want to know who put it there.
The BBC reported that Wanstead resident Victoria Richards found the plaque on a local bench on Sunday.
The plaque read: "In Loving Memory of Saddam Hussein: 1937-2006."
Hussein, the former Iraqi dictator, was brutal in his treatment of his country's people with Iranian heritage.
She told the BBC: "People have been very angry and upset, especially the Iraqi community. People have been saying it's a sick joke.
"What was there before? Was it someone's family plaque?" she said.
She also wondered whether the people responsible were pranksters, and if so, what their ultimate goal was.
Wanstead resident Ann Holmes tweeted a picture of the park bench once the plaque had been removed.
Normality has been restored to #Wanstead now that the offending Sadam Hussein plaque has been removed #benchgate pic.twitter.com/Bqt1g6RW3O
— ann holmes (@annholmes3) November 19, 2018
She told the BBC: "I live in Wanstead and it had caused a lot of controversy. I had actually thought of trying to remove it myself but thankfully the council got there first!"
