The mural on the iron bridge in Bilton has been covered with offensive graffiti.
Beverley artist Emma Garness was commissioned by Network Rail, which owns the bridge, to paint the mural in 2021.
Its uplifting nature-themed design, which incorporates local elements including cherry tree blossom from the Stray in Harrogate, has been well received.
Artist Emma Garniss finishing her design in 2021.
But the bridge, which links Claro Road and Woodfield Road, has been subject to several outbreaks of graffiti.
Ms Garness used special paint which enables it to be cleaned,
Bilton man Chris Knight has twice volunteered to help after a swastika and anti-Pakistani messages appeared.
The latest outbreak is perhaps the most extensive yet. It includes three slogans, two of which make offensive personal comments about national and local politicians.
The iron bridge
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New street art café opens in Harrogate
A café serving sweet and savoury dishes has opened its doors in Harrogate – with street art covering its walls.
Salt N Sugar, on King’s Road, sells coffees and teas, sweet and savoury waffles, pancakes, and crepes, as well as traditional brunch dishes, such as eggs royale and breakfast sandwiches.
The café’s interior is less than traditional, however, as the walls are covered in graffiti – hand painted by owners Marina Prokoiosifi, 23, and Danjel Mulla, 24.
They moved from their hometown of Athens to Harrogate in search of a brighter future.
The pair explained that “everything is painted and vandalised” in Athens, so they chose to add street art to the walls of the café to bring a “taste of home”.
Ms Prokoiosifi told the Stray Ferret:
“We were surprised how little street art there is in Harrogate when we moved – it’s so normal for places to look like this is Greece.
“I began graffitiing at the age of nine and continued until I was 12. My friends and I would paint on school walls, parts of our town and even our walls at home.”
The dog-friendly cafe also operates as a co-working space for remote workers.
It hopes to begin delivering online takeaway orders in future.
The owners said:
“People got to know us over the last few months while we were preparing the unit and have since come into the café to show their support.
“We really look forward to welcoming the residents of Harrogate to our café.”
Salt N Sugar is open from 9am to 5pm, Tuesday to Sunday.
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Playground to close at Ripon’s Quarry Moor Park
The playground at Ripon’s Quarry Moor Park is to close following repeated vandalism and anti-social behaviour.
Ripon City Council agreed the measure at an extraordinary meeting last night.
An arson attack this month became the latest in a long list of damage and destruction wrought by vandals at the park.
Edward Brandie, who lives close to the site, told councillors:
“I called the fire brigade after seeing youths deliberately setting fire to an area of woodland and fortunately, the firefighters came quickly and put it out, otherwise It could have been disastrous.”
Last night’s meeting was held to enable councillors to agree actions required to address ongoing concerns about vandalism and anti-social behaviour at the playground.
Members of the public at last night’s meeting.
It was attended by members of the public, who heard councillors approve a radical plan involving the closure of the the playground, removal of the hut on site and development of a longer-term programme of improvements for the park.
All playground equipment and broken fencing is to be removed and trees and bushes trimmed back with the aim of creating an enlarged open picnic and recreation area, that can be safely used by families and other people who visit the site for legitimate reasons.
City councillors voted unanimously for the measures after Cllr Julie Ann Martin-Long, chair of the Alderman Spence Quarry Moor Trust Committee, said she and deputy chair Cllr Tony Duncan had been regularly monitoring the park and appalled at what they had seen.
Cllr Martin-Long said:
“In addition to graffiti on the play equipment that is lewd, crude and racist, the equipment has been vandalised and is no longer safe for children to use.
“Fences have been broken down, signs damaged and dens created on the site by youths. We have also had a problem of rats on the site because of discarded rubbish.”
City council leader Andrew Williams said he believed an area of the site was being used as a drop-off point for people handing over ‘substances’. His recommendation that the gate to the site car park be locked at 5pm each day from October onward, to prevent vehicular access, was agreed.
Councillors also agreed to a proposal by Cllr Barbara Brodigan, for Ripon residents to be invited to attend a public meeting later this year to discuss longer-term improvement plans for Quarry Moor Park.
Cllr Martin-Long said:
“We have been working closely with the police and taking their advice on how to tackle the issues we are facing. There’s no quick fix, but this area used to be one of Ripon’s crowing glories and we want to get it back to that once more.”
Two children have admitted being responsible for an outbreak of graffiti in Knaresborough.
Graffiti appeared throughout the town early this month, including on Knaresborough House and on High Bond End and Boroughbridge Road.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said today:
“Following enquiries, those who were responsible for the graffiti — two children aged 14 and 15 — have been identified and have taken responsibility.
“They have agreed to a community resolution disposal and will be taking part in removing the graffiti and will be receiving an appropriate educational and restorative input to teach them about impact of graffiti on the community and local businesses.”
Community resolution disposals are usually issued to remorseful first-time offenders and do not constitute a criminal record.
Some of the recent graffiti
The clerk of Knaresborough Town Council told the Stray Ferret it had been “very concerned about the amount of graffiti” that had appeared recently.
The clerk said individual councillors had been trying to tackle the problem with the help of CCTV, adding:
“Knaresborough Town Council is currently asking for more CCTV coverage behind Knaresborough House.”
She added the mayor, Cllr Kathryn Davies recently organised a drop-in session with the police on Stockwell estate following reports of anti social behaviour in that area.
Graffiti at Knaresborough House
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