A memorial for 18 soldiers murdered in Northern Ireland has been desecrated again.

Poppy wreaths, crosses and flowers were vandalised overnight at Narrow Water, near Warrenpoint in Co Down.

The memorial marks the site where a British Army convoy was ambushed by two roadside IRA bombs in August 1979.

Ruined poppy wreaths at the Narrow Water memorial (Memorial to the Narrow Water Massacre/PA)

Poppies, snapped wooden crosses and flowers lay strewn on the pavement in front of the memorial on Thursday morning.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Inspector Nigel Henry said: “The damage is believed to have been caused at some point between 7pm on Wednesday 3 October and 7.30am this morning (Thursday).

“We would like to hear from witnesses or anyone who may have captured dashcam footage on the Warrenpoint Road that could assist us.”

It comes weeks after a football fans were blamed for wrecking the memorial as they left Warrenpoint for a return bus trip to Belfast.

Belfast football club Cliftonville, whose supporters are mostly from the nationalist tradition, said it was aware of reports that some people returning from its fixture against Warrenpoint Town were responsible.

Cliftonville condemned September’s vandalism as “pathetic” and made clear the perpetrators were not part of an official or affiliated supporters club.