Defiant Alwoodley Medical Centre defaced with anti-vaxxer graffiti just days after Boris Johnson praises practice

A Leeds medical centre which won praise from the Prime Minister has vowed to keep patients safe after it was defaced with bright red anti-vaxxer graffiti.
Alwoodley Medical Centre was defaced by anti-vaxxers (photo: Dr Martin Sutcliffe)Alwoodley Medical Centre was defaced by anti-vaxxers (photo: Dr Martin Sutcliffe)
Alwoodley Medical Centre was defaced by anti-vaxxers (photo: Dr Martin Sutcliffe)

The Alwoodley Medical Centre was defaced with graffiti just days after being praised by Boris Johnson at a Downing Street coronavirus briefing for its resilience when staff and volunteers helped clear snow to keep the vaccine programme rolling.

The practice was defaced with red paint overnight on Sunday. The graffiti on the front of the building on Saxon Mount read "CV19 VACCINE DEATHS", whilst the number "666" was painted onto the entrance of the Living Care pharmacy attached to the centre.

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Practice manager Martin Sutcliffe called out the 'upsetting' attack, adding that patients must feel safe at the centre.

The front of the practice's pharmacy was also defaced (photo: Dr Martin Sutcliffe)The front of the practice's pharmacy was also defaced (photo: Dr Martin Sutcliffe)
The front of the practice's pharmacy was also defaced (photo: Dr Martin Sutcliffe)

Dealing with the graffiti attack meant that doctors who work at the surgery had to take 'significant time' away from patient care activity on Monday.

GP Partner Martin Sutcliffe singled out examples of these activities as 'booking vaccines or dealing with suspected cancers'.

He also said that he 'assumes' 666 to be “the number of the devil” but he couldn't be sure.

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Dr Sutcliffe added: "We understand that people are increasingly distressed by lockdown restrictions and that some have concerns about vaccination, but this criminal damage is not the way to express these concerns.

"Dealing with this takes significant time which takes us away from patient care activity - be that booking vaccines or dealing with suspected cancers.

"It is important that both our teams and our patients feel safe to attend the practice and acts such as this are upsetting and erode that feeling of safety.

"I truly hope that we do not see such actions again.”

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He took to a local residents group on Facebook on Monday to share what had happened to the practice with the community.

Dr Sutcliffe's social media post said: "Hi.

"If anyone knows anything about who did this at the surgery overnight on Sunday please contact West Yorkshire police on 101.

"CCTV is being reviewed etc.

"Dealing with this has obviously taken staff away from their duties - so apologies for any delays to you receiving care.

"Reposted with comments closed - please call 101 if you have any information."

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A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: "We have taken a report of criminal damage at a property on Saxon Mount."

It comes after Boris Johnson singled the volunteers and the medical practice out for praise during his Downing Street coronavirus briefing last Wednesday evening.

The Prime Minister thanked a number of people such as doctors, nurses and local authorities for their efforts with the vaccine rollout, before he thanked "countless volunteers often working through the night".

He then added: "Or even digging out snowed-in vaccination centres like the community effort at Alwoodley Medical Centre in Leeds last Saturday so GPs, nurses and their teams could deliver 1,200 doses that day."