Vandals who have targeted an iconic Burton bridge using spray paint have been blasted as "disgraceful and disrespectful" by residents who worked tirelessly to restore the monument last year.
The Ferry Bridge in Stapenhill, has been at the heart of the town since 1889 and has now fallen foul to vandals who have sprayed graffiti on the landmark, which only underwent a £1.5 million revamp last year.
Vandals have spray-painted large letters and a number in white paint on a side panel at the entrance to the bridge on the Stapenhill side. They have sprayed 'STB' on two of the bridge's towers and in grey paint they have sprayed over over the word engineers on one of the bridge's inscription panels.
Residents who raised funds to restore the bridge to its former glory have been left saddened by the offence. It comes after council bosses issued a stark reminder to the culprits about the consequences of such crime.
Kim MacBeth is a member of the Friends of the Ferry Bridge group which is passionate about preserving the bridge for years to come.
She said: "I find it extremely sad that the very people this bridge has been restored for, haven't the decency or intelligence to respect what is, in effect, theirs. The bridge was gifted to the people of Burton and Stapenhill by Michael Arthur Bass to be used for the convenience of the public. It is unique to Burton, no-one else has one just like it anywhere in the world.
"Anyone who defaces a structure like this has no respect for the bridge, no respect for the heritage, no respect for the hard work and money spent to ensure it survives, no respect for the public who use the bridge and ultimately, no respect for themselves."
Richard Stone, vice-president of Burton Civic Society, said the bridge was symbolic to the town and very vital to the communities it serves.
He said: "It is very sad to see the Ferry Bridge so thoughtlessly vandalised. It has been looking splendid after the recent refurbishment.
"The bridge is important to the town in a number of ways. Apart from its valuable practical purpose as a traffic-free pedestrian and cycle route into the town centre and to access the leisure amenities of the Washlands; it is a fine piece of local engineering of significant historic value, with a unique profile that makes it an instantly recognisable symbol of the town."
Other residents were outraged by the vandalism, with Carol Woolley taking to social media to say: "It is absolutely shameful, the idiots whoever did this have no pride in themselves, others' hard work and effort and the area where they live!" She also suggested that the culprit be named and shamed. While Vera Poynton simply called the act "disgraceful."
Staffordshire County Council is working to remove the graffiti and Helen Fisher, cabinet support member for highways and transport, said the vandalism is "disappointing to see."
She said: "We were all incredibly pleased to see the re-opening of the Ferry Bridge last year following its major £1.5m restoration. It is an iconic local landmark which is much loved by people in the town.
"It is very disappointing to see it being vandalised like this and I would encourage anyone with information to contact the Police non-emergency number on 101.
"Our highways teams are making the necessary arrangements to have the graffiti removed."
The Ferry Bridge also attracted publicity earlier this year after it was revealed that people were attaching padlocks to the monument in homage to a "love lock" craze made famous by bridges in France.
Graffiti is a crime
- Graffiti is an offence of criminal damage and, if prosecuted, the offender could face a fine or even imprisonment.
- Under 16's are not permitted to buy aerosol paint cans.
- Local authorities can issue fixed penalty notices for offences of graffiti.
- Local authorities are responsible for cleaning it up from public buildings and fixtures. They can also clean it from private buildings and can bill the owner for the work.
- Graffiti should, initially, be reported to the local authority.
