UPDATE A police spokeperson for West Mercia Police told the Ross Gazette, "A man in his 20s has been spoken to and is currently assisting officers with their enquiries."The investigation follows a report of a man defacing several poppy displays across the town on October 26th. West Mercia Police have confirmed that the man was not arrested.Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, quoting incident number 470s of October 26th.Members of the Ross branch of the Royal British Legion have told the Ross Gazette that the damage to the poppies they had placed around the town, in preparation for the launch of this year's Poppy Appeal, will not stop them going ahead as planned.The launch will take place by the Garden of Remembrance in Broad Street on Saturday, October 28th.Ross RBL member, James Weatherhead, spent a lot of time placing large poppies in prominent positions in the town centre earlier this week. He was just completing the task when he was told about a man writing on the poppies.The 14 damaged poppies have been photographed and handed to the police as evidence. Branch Chairman, Graham Aplin, told the Ross Gazette: "Ross-on-Wye has always been so supportive of the RBL and Acts of Remembrance, this is so sad, they have defiled a national symbol of remembrance."Local shopkeepers and members of the public were horrified when they saw that the poppies placed around the town centre in preparation for the annual time of Remembrance had been defaced.

A man was seen writing slogans on the poppies by members of the public who stopped him and called the police at around 4.30pm on Thursday, October 26th. The Ross Gazette understands that the police have arrested a man and will be interviewing him in relation to the vandalism.

Dave From the Electric Shop in Ross-on-Wye said: "Everyone is shocked and angry, to deface a poppy is totally wrong."

The large poppies had been placed on lamposts by members of the Ross Branch of the Royal British Legion.