A car park which bears the name of a slave trader will be renamed, it has been revealed.

It comes as graffiti appeared on signs in the Sir John Hawkins car park in Chatham referencing controversial "lynch mob" comments made about the Black Lives Matter protests by a council leader.

The site has been subject of fierce debate about whether the name should be changed as the vandals crossed out Hawkins' name and referred to it as the "Lynch Mob Car Park".

Medway Council leader Cllr Alan Jarrett riled up tension when using the phrase at a heated meeting in July to describe the movement's mentality of hauling down statues.

He was forced to withdraw his statement in the council chamber during a debate on his proposal to set up a working group to review the names of monuments and sites across Medway, which later passed.

Critics argue the car park should not honour Hawkins, a man who caused the deaths of thousands of black prisoners transported to the English colonies in the 16th century which went on to power imperial expansion for Britain in the following centuries.

The calls to scrap the slaver's name from the site came in the wake of the BLM protests sparked by George Floyd's death at the hands of police in the USA in the summer.

Speaking on the graffiti appearing this week, Cllr Siju Adeoye (Lab) said: "It's why it's important as leaders what we say and what we project. We have to be careful.

"If we have that [Hawkins' name] on the car park then it says a lot.

"We're bidding for the City of Culture and how does that look if we're still glorifying slave traders or people involved in mass killings and atrocities? However we move forward is important and what we do will affect the next generation."

Cllr Adeoye revealed members on the newly-formed cross-party working group had agreed to change the car park's name but it had not been decided what it would be changed to.

Other sites depicting or honouring controversial historical figures in Medway came under fire and are now on the agenda for the working group.

"We're bidding for the City of Culture and how does that look if we're still glorifying slave traders?"

One of those was the Lord Kitchener statue in Dock Road.

But Cllr Adeoye said she doubted whether it would be pulled down due to the army general's connections to imprisoning and killing children in concentration camps during the Boer War in Africa in the 1890s.

"It was clear it was not going to be touched for several reasons," she added.

"One being that it is out of our jurisdiction anyway but suggestions were put forward to have a barcode by the statue and with an app it can tell you the background.

"I would love to see it removed. I don't think we need that reminder in our day and age.

"It's very important we rename these places because it says a lot to the next generation about inclusion, multiculturalism, diversity.

"Are these towns welcoming and what are we saying to people?

"I've always said let's put it back to the public and have a consultation and involve the public. You're always surprised by what they say. The backlash after that meeting showed the public want to have a say."

Although remembered for his involvement in barbaric acts towards black slaves, Hawkins also carried out several deeds in Britain which helped citizens in Medway at the time.

He founded a hospital for injured and sick mariners and was knighted for his dedication to the cause and for his distinguished naval career during the Elizabethan period.

The graffiti is due to be removed from the signs by council workers.

When asked by KentOnline, Cllr Jarrett did not address the use of "lynch mob" in the graffiti on the signs.

The Conservative leader said he was encouraged by the start of the work carried out by the cross-party group.

Cllr Jarrett said: "I was pleased to bring forward a motion which, despite the Labour Group’s failure to support this endeavour, successfully set up a cross party working group with the purpose of conducting a review of memorials, historic markers and monuments in Medway.

"It is the task of the group to consider what changes, if any, would be appropriate. The outcomes of the working group will be made public in due course and I look forward to receiving their assessment."

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