Months of strange, celebrity-themed graffiti in the Newcastle suburb of West Denton has left residents baffled, with the identity of the prolific artist still unknown. Despite repeated attempts by Newcastle City Council to paint over the messages, the anonymous vandal or vandals keep returning to add fresh phrases.
Latest bizarre messages
The latest batch of graffiti includes references to a range of famous figures, from TV presenters to musicians. Among the new messages are: “Jade Thirlwall - Angel of the North”, “Kate Garraway brushes her hair with a wooden fork from the chippy”, and “Roman Kemp is banned from Toys r Us for riding the display cars”.
Other slogans mention Bonnie Langford’s Orange Wednesday voucher, John Bercow shouting “order” when his tea is ready, and Alison Hammond putting loose bananas through self-service. Further messages reference Lisa Scott-Lee working at Coinstar, Nicole Appleton mixing all four Angel Aelight flavours, Kirstie Allsopp’s love of Fray Bentos pies, and Sharon Osbourne not washing out her recycled plastics.
Community reaction
Last week, Newcastle City Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Local Services, Peter Lovatt, condemned the graffiti and urged anyone with information to report it to Northumbria Police. However, one local resident, Derek Cozier-Knutts, told the Chronicle that most people in West Denton see the funny side of the graffiti, which has generated a huge reaction on social media.
“It’s been a talking point and it’s definitely put the area on the map,” Derek, 43, said. “Most of it is inoffensive, it’s just really random.”
Derek believes the “relentless” artist must come out in the early hours of the morning to replace the graffiti every time it is painted over. “Everyone I have spoken to has said there will need to be a camera to catch them because it is relentless. They seem to be straight back out there,” he said. “Nobody is any the wiser about who it is. People have their own different opinions about it. As much as it is harmless it is still criminal so we don’t want to accuse anyone out right. It’s clearly got people talking. It’s just the strangest thing. Everyone is talking about it.”
Council response
Coun Lovatt said last week: “We are aware of the graffiti in West Denton and have taken immediate action to ensure it is removed as quickly as possible. This type of graffiti is unacceptable. It damages public spaces, blights our communities and creates an unnecessary cost to taxpayers through the resources required to remove it. It is a form of criminal damage and a recordable offence. Anyone responsible for vandalising property could face police action, including arrest and prosecution. We would urge anyone with information about those responsible to report it to Northumbria Police. The council has a zero-tolerance approach to offensive graffiti and will always act swiftly to remove it.”
