Friends and family of the burglar who was killed by a pensioner after breaking into his home have once again clashed with neighbours after setting up a 'shrine' to the dead man.
To commemorate what would have been Henry Vincent's 38th birthday, relatives placed bunches of flowers, birthday cards, notes and balloons on a fence in the street in Hither Green, south east London, just yards away from the home of pensioner Richard Osborn-Brooks.
Around 20 people clashed with local residents and police this afternoon after they arrived to leave the tributes to Vincent, the Mirror reports.
In the 11 days since his death, friends and relatives have set up several 'shrines', causing anger among neighbours who have been pictured tearing down the floral tributes and notes.
Speaking last week, one neighbour who did not want to be named told the Daily Mirror: "That should not be there, it is someone's fence.
"It's all a bit over the top. It's out of order.
"The man should not have burgled the property in the first place."
Police eventually moved the relatives on after the tributes were dismantled.
Relatives of Vincent have since accused the police of being racist against Travellers - according to the Mirror one woman was heard asking: "Why are you being racist? Why are you people picking on us for?"
Vincent died after breaking into the home of Osborn-Brooks and his wife, during a botch burglary, which saw the 37-year-old stabbed. He ran away from the property but his body was found about 20 yards away and he was later pronounced dead.
The pensioner is now to said to be too scared to return to his home amid fears of reprisal attacks. He and his wife are reported to be in a 'safe house'.
Members of Vincent's family have said they will not return to the street and that they only visited today to mark what would have been his birthday.
A woman who says she was Vincent's auntie told the Metro: "If people leave the flowers alone within a week they'll die, we will come here, clean this road, and go and never come back.
"All we want is them just left until the flowers die and we will take them away."
Advert
Sources: Daily Mirror; Metro
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: uk news