Angry shoppers have spoken of their shock after scores of graffiti with the same signature was seen all over a major Nottingham road. Bus stops, buildings and park signs were defaced in Sherwood's Mansfield Road recently, with community protection officers saying that they were 'devastated.'
The vandals wrote what appears to be the letters 'S' and 'U', as well as two dots, in big block writing and the colour red. This is not the first time that unwanted graffiti has appeared recently in Nottingham either.
Back in June, vandalism at The St Nicholas Church graveyard in the city centre was described as “disrespectful” and “disheartening.” Graffiti was painted onto some of the gravestones at the church along with broken glass.
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Following this most recent senseless act, shoppers and residents have called for action to be taken to put a stop to graffiti and other acts of antisocial behaviour. One shopper, 47-year-old Kerrie Morley, who lives in Wynndale Drive, said: "Well it isn't the first time it's happened around here unfortunately.
"It doesn't bother me too much but I can see why it does for others. It is sad because it just ruins the look of things.
"If you're walking into a beautiful park the last thing you want to see is some ugly graffiti sprayed on gates when you're walking in. I doubt I'd even notice it but for people that go to that park a lot it's horrible.
"It's despicable really if that's all you're doing for fun with your mates - I could think of plenty more things I'd rather be doing!"
Terrence Cosgrove, 67, who lives nearby, said: "It is a shame. I've not once walked past some graffiti and thought 'oh that looks nice' or 'that looks better than it did before' it's just ugly.
"Hopefully something is done about it. I'd like to at least see them get a big fine if they're caught, although I doubt they will be unless there's some cameras nearby.
"Younger people need to be punished for this sort of thing whether that is with a fine or something else. They probably wouldn't even be able to afford it if they were fined!"
A tweet from the Radford Road CPOs account, posted on Tuesday, August 16, first alerted people to the incident. Community protection officers are carrying out CCTV enquiries in the area.
The tweet read: Devastated to see that someone has damaged both Council and private property along Mansfield Road in Sherwood over the weekend. CPO's are carrying out CCTV enquiries in the area. If anyone has any information please get in touch."
A Nottingham City Council spokesperson said: “It’s really disappointing that this graffiti, which is criminal damage, has appeared on a number of sites across Sherwood. It shows a huge lack of respect for the area and is not in keeping with the sort of neighbourhood spirit we want to see in Nottingham.
“Our Community Protection officers and Nottingham Clean Champions have noticed problems along Mansfield Road and within the Edwards Lane estate, including Peggy’s Park. We’ve spoken to local businesses here, increased patrols and are checking CCTV footage. Officers have also used special wipes to remove as much of the graffiti as possible.
“If the CCTV footage is conclusive, we will work with the police to make sure those responsible are prosecuted. Spraying graffiti usually results in a £75 fixed-penalty notice but can trigger a fine of up to £5,000 in some circumstances.”
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