Police probe after troll hijacks council meeting to urge killing of Jews

Shenley Parish Council's meeting was sabotaged by a person posting "Burn the Jews", which police are investigating as a hate crime.

Police are investigating after an antisemitic troll gatecrashed a parish council meeting to call for the killing of Jews.

Councillors on Shenley Parish Council near Borehamwood were discussing its neighbourhood plan on Tuesday evening when the meeting was hijacked by a member of the public posting: “Burn The Jews.”

The vile comment, posted by a person dubbing themselves ‘John Smith’, has been reported to police. They are investigating it as a hate crime.

Cllr Michelle Vince, a representative on Hertsmere Borough Council who attended the meeting, said she was left disgusted.

“Tonight I joined the extraordinary Shenley parish zoom meeting,” she said. “I was absolutely disgusted at the antisemitic remark in the group chat.

“A remark like what I saw must not be tolerated. I hope it is referred to the police by the parish council, I will [be] raising it with the police tonight myself.”

Shenley, a small village near to Radlett and Borehamwood, has been estimated to have a roughly 20 percent Jewish population.

A spokesman for Hertfordshire Police told Jewish News it was investigating, and appealed for information to help find the culprit.

“Police are investigating an incident of malicious communications and hate crime in Shenley,” he confirmed.

Officers want those with any information which could help the enquiry to report it online at herts.police.uk/report or to call 101 quoting crime reference 41/19051/21.

Crimestoppers, the independent charity, can also be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Shenley was previously hit by a spate of antisemitic graffiti in 2019, after the phrase “Jew Ghetto” alongside a Star of David was discovered in three locations in the village.