Pride flag burned with cigarettes at Wortley Village home

A London couple was shocked to discover their pride flag ripped off its pole and burned with cigarettes.

The incident was discovered Tuesday at the couple's Wortley Village home. 

Brad Schweitzer was leaving for work when he found the flag pole bent and the flag folded up on the porch. 

When his partner Steve Knott went to inspect the flag, he found two cigarette-shaped holes burned in the flag. 

"I was kind of stunned. I just didn't expect it. I was shocked and in disbelief," Knott told CBC News. 

"At first I thought it was just people being idiots, but the more it sunk in throughout the day, it annoyed me that someone would do that." 

Knott said he and Schweitzer flew a pride flag last year with no incident. 

Neighbours have rallied around the couple and bought them a replacement flag, which was put up Wednesday. As well, Pride London donated a flag to the couple. 

Knott said he doesn't feel unsafe, but the incident has left him uneasy. 

"I guess I'm really on the fence. It's absolutely wrong and I'm not happy about it," he said Thursday morning. "Maybe a part of me doesn't want to believe that it was a hate crime, living in this community. But it's possible that it was." 

Knott said he plans to report the incident to police today. 

London police said they encourage residents to report such incidents.