Four people bailed after council HQ sprayed with red paint

Chloe HarcombeBBC News, West of England
News imageBBC Image of County Hall in Taunton. There is red spray paint on the outside of the buildingBBC
Police attended a protest after red paint was sprayed onto the council headquarters

Four people arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after red paint was sprayed onto a council headquarters over its links to an Israeli arms firm have been released on bail.

They were also arrested at County Hall, Taunton, on Thursday on suspicion of "locking on" to a person.

The four were bailed and given a condition to not visit the town.

Two men, one in his 20s and one in his 30s, and two women, one in her 30s and one in her 70s,were arrested at the building just after 08:15 BST.

It comes after the Grade II-listed building was sprayed with red graffiti and blocked at the main entrance.

News imageImage of police outside County Hall in Taunton
Red graffiti was sprayed on the building

As part of its annual budget, Somerset Council has previously agreed it would sell an office at Aztec West on the outskirts of Bristol, which is occupied by Elbit Systems UK.

Elbit Systems, based in Israel, is a defence contractor which supplies the Israeli army with equipment.

Police have appealed for anyone with information about the graffiti incident to contact them.

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