A SPATE of graffiti attacks in Burton has left police and community leaders baffled.
The offending design appeared in black paint on the rear of what was once the Burton Museum building, on the corner of Station Street and Guild Street.
The culprit apparently shimmied up a drainpipe at the rear of the former Robins Cinema in George Street to reach their ‘canvas’ — a sheer wall overlooking the Sheffield Cycles shop.
Similar graffiti has been spotted nearby opposite the Roebuck pub, on the corner of Mosley Street and Station Street, and on the Station Bridge.
The graffiti attacks coincide with the launch of a campaign across the border in South Derbyshire to try to catch those behind graffiti attacks in the district.
Michael Rodgers, East Staffordshire Borough Council member for Burton, condemned the perpetrators of the latest act of vandalism.
He said: “It’s totally unacceptable, defacing what was and what still is architecturally a very nice building.
“It’s made a mess and anybody travelling down Station Street will be hit by this eyesore daubed on the side of the building.
“Whoever has done this has no respect for other people’s property, but they’ve also endangered themselves.
“How they got up there I don’t know but it’s 15 or 20 feet high.
“They’ve daubed graffiti right to the end of the wall.
One slip and they could have gone over and maimed themselves.”
A council spokesman said: “Our street cleaning team will remove sexual, racial or offensive graffiti reported to them within 24 hours and aims to remove other graffiti within 48 hours.
“Although we have removed as much of the graffiti on the former Burton Museum building as possible, some of it is still on the roof and higher parts of the property, which we are unable to get to safely, and the building’s owners have agreed to take care of it as soon as they are able.
“We would also like to remind people that vandalism like this is a criminal offence and if anyone knows the culprits they can report them to Staffordshire Police.”
A police spokesman said: “We did receive a call about graffiti on the wall of a shop in Station Street and we are aware that the same symbol has appeared in two other locations in Burton.
“Suitable reassurance was offered to the caller followed by a visit to the premises. Anyone who has information as to who is behind the graffiti is asked to call us.”
Information can be passed to the police by calling its new non-emergency number, 101, quoting incident number 506 of November 8, or by calling Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.
