Covid memorial smashed again in Shaw, Oldham
A Covid memorial in Shaw town centre has been vandalised for the second time in under a year. The engraved stone, tree, and bench installed in 2020 to honour NHS staff and key workers were discovered smashed on March 9, 2026, a day after Covid-19 Day of Reflection. Local councillor Louie Hamblett found the commemorative stone destroyed. This follows a similar attack last year when vandals wrecked the stone, uprooted the tree, and spraypainted the bench, costing Shaw and Crompton Town Council £1,200 in repairs. Councillor Marc Hince compared the memorial to a war cenotaph and said the council plans to erect a new plaque in Shaw's new community hall once a lease is secured at the Lifelong Learning Centre.