Police are treating the theft of plaques linking to poems from “writers of global heritage” in the South Downs National Park as a racially-motivated crime.

Sussex Police say that a number of the plaques have been taken from signs in the national park which stretches from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne.

A force spokesman said: “Police are investigating the theft of a series of plaques in the South Downs National Park as racially-motivated.

“The plaques, which contain QR codes linking users to stories and poems from writers of global heritage, are reported to have been stolen on or around August 29.”

A spokesman for the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) said a total of 13 plaques were stolen along the Sussex Heritage Coast from Seaford to Eastbourne.

He added that the offenders had used a screwdriver to prise off the plaques before the screws were screwed back into the posts.

The spokesman said: “The National Park Authority is deeply saddened and appalled that a walking trail featuring fantastic stories from writers of global heritage, sharing their love for and connection with the South Downs, has been vandalised.

“The plaques linked to 13 audio stories that are part of a new inspiring trail unveiled last year called ‘We Hear You Now’.

“The trail celebrates the deep connection that local writers of global heritage have with the landscape and has been enjoyed by thousands of people from all walks of life, each with a shared love for the National Park.

“As no other plaques were targeted in the area, we can sadly only assume that the theft is targeted and racially-motivated, and has been reported as such to Sussex Police.

“The National Park Authority has begun to reinstate the plaques and is calling on all our visitors and communities to support these wonderful writers and their stories of our beloved, shared National Park by listening on-site or on our website.”

Tim Slaney, chief executive (interim) for the National Park Authority, said: “This is a deeply shocking and appalling crime, and we stand in full solidarity with the writers who put their hearts and souls into this project over many years to create a trail that many people have enjoyed.

“The writers and all our staff are understandably devastated.

“National Parks were created for the benefit of the nation and have always been for everyone to enjoy.

“We are a National Park for all and will continue to celebrate the voices of everybody, and embrace the full spectrum of all our communities as we work together to tackle the nature and climate crises that are impacting us all, and we will continue to do so with great pride.

“The South Downs National Park is a welcoming landscape and we look forward to it being enjoyed and experienced by everyone.”

We Hear You Now, funded by the SDNPA and Arts Council England, is one of a number of immersive listening trails at Seven Sisters Country Park, and followed the “We See You Now” creative programme.

Led by Alinah Azadeh, the project was aimed at writers of colour to create “a legacy for minoritised voices, connections and perspectives on the Sussex coastal landscape”.

Sergeant Tom Carter, of the Sussex Police rural crime team, said: “The fact that someone chose to steal plaques from this particular trail, which features work by female writers from black and global majority backgrounds, is a detestable act that deprives others of the enjoyment of these incredible works.

“As only these specific plaques have been targeted, we are investigating this as a racially motivated theft.

“There is absolutely no place for racism or hate crime in Sussex, and anyone found to commit offences can expect to be dealt with robustly.”