Maitland council says don't intervene in Maitland Jewish Cemetery's headstone repairs

Some members of the community have removed a special compound applied to the stones and cleaned them with chemicals that actually damage historic stonework.

They have also removed plantings designed to protect monuments from mowing equipment.

The move has led the council to tell residents to stay away from the cemetery, saying "they must leave this work to the experts".

"Any work at the cemetery must be carried out by people with the knowledge, skills, and experience to maintain the site's strong heritage value," council's planning and environment group manager Matt Prendergast said.

Related: Act of hate: Tears flow after swastika painted on historic headstones

"Community members taking matters into their own hands impacts our ability to properly maintain the heritage integrity of the site and threatens to cause permanent damage."

Monumental restoration and conservation expert Sach Killam had already given the headstones a deep clean and applied a special compound to draw out any remaining paint.

The cemetery is protected under the NSW Heritage Act 1977.

Joe Eisenberg couldn't hold back the tears as he explained how seeing the swastika plastered over headstones at Maitland Jewish Cemetery had caused him great pain.

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He spent about 15 years working to restore the cemetery with his wife Janis Wilton and never thought that kind of vandalism would happen here.

Fifteen headstones were vandalised with the swastika in January. It is believed a stencil was used to position the symbol at the same height and angle, so each one looked identical.

A link to the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi's Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp, which took place on January 27, hasn't been ruled out.

A member of Maitland and District Historical Society saw the defaced headstones on the weekend of January 28 and 29 and shared pictures with other society members.

One of those members contacted the police on January 31. Police responded within two hours and seized cans and bottles at the scene.

Police have appealed to the community for information to help catch those responsible.