VANDALS have targeted a popular Newport mural depicting Pill’s carnival queen and commemorating a retired police officer.
The artwork, by Andy O’Rourke, was painted in July on Temple Street.
It features retired police officer PC Val, who was a community policing officer for more than 30 years, as well as Pilleve carnival queen Alexia Cuthbert and the Newport Transport Bridge. There are also Jamaican dancers and flags from a costume the artist made in 2015 at an elementary school in the old library.
Mr O’Rourke was approached by the police and the council to create a mural commemorating PC Val’s time as an officer, and turned it into a stunning piece of art for the whole community to enjoy.
However, this week vandals appear to have thrown a can of white paint over the mural.
“I saw it and my heart sank,” Mr O’Rourke said. “I didn’t go out to see him. I can’t afford it at the moment.
“It has a protective glaze on it to keep it protected that’s designed to be cleaned off, but it’s hard to know if it’s going to work.
“I feel sorry for the shopkeeper who was very generous and gave us this wall. I fear that people will be less inclined to be so generous in the future, which would be a real shame.”
It appears that a can of white paint was thrown across the mural.
Mr O’Rourke said it is not the first time the mural has been targeted by vandals, following an incident when he was creating it.
“Halfway I came out one morning and there was spray paint on the street of the mural, about a seven-metre line running right through it,” he said, adding that an abusive message to the carnival queen had been sprayed on it . the mural.
The mural on Temple Street in Pill has been vandalised.
“Ninety-nine percent of people were really enthusiastic and loved it. But some people had a problem with it, and having the police in it, for example.
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“99 percent of people were completely positive and loved that it was bringing color and celebrating multiculturalism to Pill.
“I don’t understand why it has been so controversial.
“This is not a random act. Someone has been out there with a can of white paint.
“It would be a shame if all images are sanitized so they don’t offend even the vocal minority.”
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