Copycat graffiti tagger 'Soak' wrecks Botley mural (From Oxford Mail)
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Copycat graffiti tagger 'Soak' wrecks Botley mural
10:50am Friday 15th October 2010 in Oxford By Chris Walker
Briony Newport at the graffiti-hit art mural in the underpass by Stanley Close, Botley
murals depicting Oxford and Botley have been ruined by the graffiti tagger ‘Soak’.
The hand-painted murals in a subway under the A34 in Botley were spoiled by a four foot long multi-coloured signature of the vandal which has appeared in hundreds of tags daubed across Oxford.
North Hinksey Parish Council chairman Briony Newport has called the damage an “affront” to local residents.
Police have said they believe a number of graffiti artists may behind a spate of Soak tags around the city over the last few months.
The popular murals painted by Didcot artist Michael Iddon depict a scene in the city centre street St Giles and the 12th Century St Lawrence Church in North Hinksey.
Mrs Newport said: “This is disgusting. It’s a pity that these beautiful artworks have been ruined.
“This is not like tagging a bare brick wall which is bad enough but these are art scenes which are attractive.
“There have always been bits of written graffiti but nothing so damaging as what has happened now over a couple of the paintings.
“Sadly these people have no taste or appreciation for anything other than puffing up his or her own ego.
“I’m upset about it because we have never seen it so bad.
“This latest damage done to the subway artwork of local places of interest is awful.
“We have had this 20 years now and we have had taglines before but nothing so offensive.”
The graffiti was reported to Botley PCSO Lisa Prime on Saturday, October 2, two days after police arrested a man on suspicion of criminal damage in connection with the graffiti tag.
The 20-year-old was bailed until December 1.
However, police believe there are copy-cat taggers operating with the same tag, and have renewed an appeal for the public to come forward with information.
The murals in the subway near Montagu Road in Botley were first painted in 1989, two years after the subway was built.
Council clerk Alan Stone said: “The bill will be picked up by the Highways Agency but the cost to the community of this is astronomical and comes at the expense of money which could be spent on more useful activities.
“Removing that sort of stuff is not easy.”
Oxford City Council currently spends more than £100,000 every year cleaning up graffiti.
Highways Agency spokesman James Wright said: “We will come out and see how bad this graffiti is.”
Pc Peter Ciechan said: “We have arrested an individual in relation to graffiti tagging in Oxford recently, and are actively investigating other possible offenders.”
Call Pc Ciechan on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 if you have any information.
Comments(25)
BioHazard
says...
11:33am Fri 15 Oct 10
the wizard
says...
12:32pm Fri 15 Oct 10
The message needs to be sent out loud and clear that this is not acceptable, and culprits will be dealt with very severley. Perhaps a register at point of sale of the spray cans may be an option, with photo ID being needed before purchase. This may seem a bit OTT but would make the offenders easier to trace.
hughcurran
says...
1:09pm Fri 15 Oct 10
mandate
says...
2:46pm Fri 15 Oct 10
The problem is that these idiots don't even know the 'ethic codes' for graffiti artists, which is don't destroy other peoples artwork.
I hope that the bill for all clean up work is footed by them and their parents. It's time to get tough on these morons by handing out real punishment in forms of community service and heavy fines.
Scaramuccia
says...
6:01pm Fri 15 Oct 10
snapperdownunder
says...
7:52pm Fri 15 Oct 10
snapperdownunder
says...
7:54pm Fri 15 Oct 10
Scaramuccia wrote:Ever thought that our forebears had it right. Bring back the stocks and give the little ***'s a good public humiliation......aft
"fine them" "beat them" "call them names" "make the parents pay" "flog them" "lock them up in unpainted cells" "give them communtiy srvice" - Nice job guys, thats that simple little problem sorted then - I wonder why the council, police, central government etc couldn't sort it when it took you lot just a few minutes - good job you are on the ball then eh ? Whats next middle east peace and world hunger ?
er they or their parents have paid for the damage.
mandate
says...
9:47pm Fri 15 Oct 10
Scaramuccia wrote:Well I suppose we should all just sit back and not react to this kind of mindless vandalism.
"fine them" "beat them" "call them names" "make the parents pay" "flog them" "lock them up in unpainted cells" "give them communtiy srvice" - Nice job guys, thats that simple little problem sorted then - I wonder why the council, police, central government etc couldn't sort it when it took you lot just a few minutes - good job you are on the ball then eh ? Whats next middle east peace and world hunger ?
Obviously you are spot on by suggesting punishment would'nt deter them in the future.
In your smug eyes, liberalism is the way forward I suppose.
Peeter Mcvey
says...
3:08am Sat 16 Oct 10
Peeter Mcvey
says...
6:19am Sat 16 Oct 10
the wizard
says...
8:56am Sat 16 Oct 10
And your spell binding solution is.......WHAT EXACTLY, wrap them in cotton wool and send them on a tax payer paid for holiday to instruct them as to the errors of their ways.
Discipline, is what they need, and their visual revolt against society is un-acceptable . It is only right they be brought to book and there are still some societies on this earth that remove a hand in retribution for theft, so in comparison our demands are rather light natured. Get a grip, THE TAXPAYER IS SICK,TIRIED AND FED UP WITH PAYING FOR THE REMOVAL OF THIS DROSS AND IT HAS TO STOP.
Further more I take it from your comments that you are in support of such "Taggers", or is it you are one of Society's Blights on the landscape, otherwise known as a "Do gooder", or alternatively a member of "the Nanny State", still wiping bums and noses, in either case, GET A GRIP.
Scaramuccia
says...
3:14pm Sun 17 Oct 10
J B Blackett
says...
5:38pm Sun 17 Oct 10
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PS I looked up these words - 'societal' = of society ; 'pejorative' (adj) = depreciatory ; but neo-liberals = I dunno , couldn't find it my not very good dictionary... I am even more doomed than anyone else I guess.
J B Blackett
says...
5:39pm Sun 17 Oct 10
Peeter Mcvey wrote:How ungracious.
P.S. By sticking some OLD MAID with a bad smell under her nose on the front page. The O.M. are only encouraging more potential taggers to do their bit just to p!ss her off.
the wizard
says...
8:23pm Sun 17 Oct 10
Perhaps you missed our points as well, the crime must carry an effective deterent as punishment. A good old fashioned kick in the pocket to pay for ones actions often has the desired effect, and also balances the books for reparation. A further cost to the individual on top of such fines normally inject the thought that "the crime is not worth the time", further ventures off the straight and narrow should carry harsher penalties, to demonstrate that this code of behaviour is not acceptable to the good honest hard working & rate paying citizens.
Scaramuccia
says...
10:38am Mon 18 Oct 10
online_reader
says...
2:24pm Mon 18 Oct 10
J B Blackett
says...
6:59pm Mon 18 Oct 10
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It would appear not many people are happy with the current situation and the punishments meted out if (and it's a big IF) the miscreants ever get caught.
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On the other hand some people would like more penal , higher fines or even more draconian measures. But some folk say we need to understand why these reputably undesirable things are happening and we need to debate and discuss matters and apply 'punishment' if necessary with a light touch. Rehabitulation and a civil decent society is the aim
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It would seem like there is no easy answer to the alleged ever increasing lawlessness in British society today. The politicians don't know , the judiciary only do what they are allowed to do and the police do as they are told (most of the time).
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Well I have the answer , but I'll be blowed if I am going to tell you miserable , whinging , bickering lot.
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However I will tell you , that things willl get worse before they get better , but I suspect some of you know that already.
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Mind how you go.
Scaramuccia
says...
7:11pm Mon 18 Oct 10
J B Blackett
says...
8:08pm Mon 18 Oct 10
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It is an alleged truism that history repeats itself , but unfortunately history never starts from where we are at the moment.
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Ask me what would have happened in the past and I can guarantee (with a little help) I will get pretty close to being 100% correct.
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However , because of the world (and Oxford) have never been in this current social position before , future events are entirely unpredictable - so I can not pretend I know and cannot ( because of my secret time oath) get involved - so I'm out (as they say).
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AlexF
says...
9:30am Thu 21 Oct 10
These pathetic ASBO's, "rehabilitation" and the like quite clearly have not worked, I was brought up and educated to believe that prison was never meant to be nice.
What happened to the deterrents, and to the above comment, yes, our forbears always had the right ideas in regards to crime prevention, a small cell, paltry diet, no rewards for committing crime, just punishment. Bring back the birch, cat o nine tails and the rope, we'll soon see crime drop.
sway bws
says...
6:07am Sat 30 Oct 10
halcooper5
says...
10:51am Tue 2 Nov 10
sway bws
says...
1:45am Fri 5 Nov 10
halcooper5 wrote:shut up maaan! were just tryna get our art work out there, this is our hobby, we like it, you dont haha the more you go on about it the more we wanna do it you dumb fuckss
Frankly speaking, it's entirely subjective whether one prefer's the mural or the graffiti itself. Even from the photo featured, one can see the graffiti certainly required quite some skill, it is not as if it is simply a one-colour, two dimensional tag simply for getting the artists name out there. If many graffiti wall's were legal we would see beautiful amalgamations of paint brush- style murals with spray paint- graffiti working in tandem. Instead the laws in place have taught us to automatically resent something essentially very artistic.
online_reader says...
11:32am Fri 15 Oct 10