Police are investigating a series of graffiti attacks across the Suffolk market town of Bungay, where a mystery vandal dubbed 'Wokesy' has spray-painted the word 'woke' on buildings, bus shelters, road signs and other property for months.
The vandal has also used the initials 'OTC', while the word 'zest' has appeared at some locations. The nickname 'Wokesy' is a nod to street artist Banksy.
Targets include historic sites
Among the affected sites is a newly installed bus shelter on St John's Road, while road and diversion signs around the Ditchingham A143/Norwich Road roundabout were also defaced. The historic Bungay Bowls Club, believed to date back to 1886, had its sign and banners damaged.
Club chairman Dominic Belisario said: “It has not affected any club activities, but it will cost the club to clean or replace the damaged banner and sign.”
Hotel and community response
The vandal has also targeted the 16th-century King's Head Hotel in the town centre, which has been closed since 2012 and once featured on Channel 4's Four in a Bed. The word 'woke' was reportedly sprayed more than 15 times across the building in colours including black, pink and light blue.
Peter Scott, a Neighbourhood Watch coordinator in Bungay, described the problem as a “growing epidemic”. He said: “This has become a real problem – nothing drags an area down worse than graffiti. It’s awful for tourism, too. Cleaning it off is not the answer, the culprits need to be caught. I fear, unless some concerted effort is made, the problem will continue to get worse.”
Police appeal for information
Volunteers have repeatedly stepped in to remove the graffiti whenever it appears, but the mystery vandal has yet to be caught. A Suffolk Constabulary spokesman said: “We have seen damage to numerous business items, mainly bus shelters, road signs, and town council signs, with repeat graffiti.”
“Police have been working with the town council and district councillors to manage concerns. A community meeting was held with businesses affected to come together and ensure a joint approach, to provide reassurance and to discuss the issues.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Suffolk Police, quoting crime reference 37/28300/26.
