Vandals branded ‘idiots’ after wrecking Billingshurst mural

The mural was a project set up by the village’s parish council last year in a bid to spruce up a row of empty shops.

Staff from supermarket chain Sainsbury’s took part in a two-day painting session, along with Sussex Clubs for Young People - who provide youth sessions in the village - schoolchildren, and Sussex artist Sarah Gillings of U CAN Spray who created a flora and fauna design.

But now vandals have painted over part of the scene with the words ‘I can’t breathe’ highlighting the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in the USA.

One upset villager lashed out at the vandals as idiots. She added: “It’s so sad, the school children went to a great deal of effort to paint a mural to brighten the High Street in Billingshurst, and this is what happens.

“This activity is nothing to do with trying to change attitudes in our community, it’s mindless and all it will do is make people angry rather than concentrate on making our society a better place.”

Other residents vented their fury on social media, hitting out the perpetrators as ‘mindless morons.’ Others accused the vandals of having ‘no respect’ and described their behaviour as ‘disgusting.’

Billingshurst Parick Council clerk Greg Burt said: “It’s a great shame when all communities are pulling together at this time but certain people destroy what residents themselves have created.

“It’s a critical time for the town centre and things like this don’t help.”

He said the parish council would be cleaning off the graffiti. “We just want to get it looking as nice as it can.”

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