Colourful mural of the Queen defaced after vandals splatter it with brown paint
A mural of the late Queen Elizabeth II has been defaced by vandals in Merseyside.
Brown paint was thrown over the colourful artwork located on Hoylake Road in the town of Moreton.
The mural had been commissioned to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee last summer.
The vandalism has caused uproar across the community.
One woman told the Liverpool Echo: ‘Unfortunately this is something that can only make the community realise antisocial behaviour in Moreton isn’t getting any better, and even if there is CCTV which catches whoever in the act, odds on their face is covered.
‘Such a sad thing to see, especially for the artist.’
The striking artwork, with bright sprays of roses, daffodils, bluebells and pansies, was painted by Wirral artist Alexandra Thompson in May 2022.
It was supported by the Moreton In Bloom group, which also planned to plant an orchard, called ‘Lilibet’s Garden’, on Pasture Road near Moreton train station in the Queen’s name.
When the Queen died on September 8, the mural became a focus for public mourning, with floral tributes placed along the bottom of the wall.
Elsewhere, a mural dedicated to the late Paul O’Grady was defaced just three days after it was created.
Artist Chris Moore ‘instantly’ felt driven to paint the piece when he heard the beloved entertainer had passed away at the age of 67 on March 28.
The mural in south Manchester features the famous animal lover smiling alongside a dog, with a caption reading: ‘For Paul’.
But visitors who travelled to see it on the Fallowfield Loop at the start of the month were shocked to find it had been covered with green graffiti.
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