A man has admitted daubing bizarre celebrity-themed graffiti on walls in a Newcastle neighbourhood. West Denton residents were left perplexed after several graffiti making absurd claims about famous figures appeared on an underpass wall.
The mystery vandal mentioned people like Danny Dyer, Ross Kemp, TV presenter Lorraine Kelly, Little Mix singer Jade Thirlwall and Rita Ora. Some of the scribbles featured slurs and sexual tones, while many included bizarre claims about celebrities doing mundane things.
Bizarre claims and cleanup
One said ‘Danny Dyer Smokes Parma Violet Vapes,’ while another claimed ‘Lorraine Kelly is barred from Wetherspoons for stealing cutlery.’ Another tag said: ‘Jade Thirlwall buys makeup from Poundland.’
In others, the vandal had written ‘Jessie J doesn’t donate 10p to charity at the checkout,’ ‘Rita Ora has the Lidl Plus App’ and ‘Stacey Solomon gives Joe a sticker for helping with the dishes.’ A message said: ‘Ross Kemp dabs Zoflora behind his ears.’
Newcastle City Council has confirmed it has since cleaned the graffiti off.
Admission and police response
Now a 33-year-old man has admitted criminal damage, the police said. A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: ‘On Monday we arrested a man on suspicion of criminal damage in relation to graffiti in the West Denton area of Newcastle.
‘In interview the man, aged 33, admitted carrying out the vandalism and he has now been referred for an out-of-court disposal.
‘Anti-social behaviour of this nature is completely unacceptable and alongside our partners we will always look to take action when we are made aware of it.’
Council statement
Councillor Peter Lovatt, the cabinet member for neighbourhoods and local services, told Metro previously: ‘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. We would encourage residents to report any incidents by contacting our Envirocall service on 0191 278 7878 or through the council’s website so that we can take prompt action.’
