Graffiti artists reclaim Shrewsbury walkway
A Shrewsbury walkway that has long been a hangout for graffiti vandals has been given a dramatic makeover by two artists.
The Dana walkway, which leads from Castle Gates to the Dana footbridge, is a favourite for taggers to spray paint their marks on the wall.
But now a collaboration between Shropshire Council, Shrewsbury Town Centre Policing Team and Castle Carpets has seen the area transformed.
Street scenes and landmarks from the town have been sprayed on to the wall.
Neil Willis from Auniqueart completed the work last night.
Gillian Denning, public protection officer from Shropshire Council, said: "The funding for this project has come from The Local Bronze Level Tasking group.
"This wall has been an ongoing target for people to practise their graffiti tags on and has in the past been painted over again and again. However it still seems to attract various tags, which is a terrible shame with it being in such a location close to our beautiful castle and an eye-sore for passers-by.
"With this in mind I approached the BLT for funding which was approved and with the shop owners of Castle Carpets for permission. The wall now has a piece of art work for passers-by to look at rather than peoples' tags.
"It keeps being painted over time and time again and it is a nice walkway. If you put some professional artwork on it other taggers respect that and don't touch it.
"Neil has been working with Chiara Ireland-Morris, a 16-year-old art student who is studying at Bishops Castle and who wants to go to the Sixth Form College.
"The painting looks wonderful so I am appealing to those who put up other graffiti, 'Please don't put any graffiti along that walkway because we are trying to keep it looking nice for others. Don't go from there to tagging elsewhere'.
"Neil has previously done art projects for us on skateboard ramps and they have not been tagged over hence the decision for a piece of artwork like this to be placed here.
"Graffiti taggers seem to respect a professional piece of art work."
Richard Coles from Shrewsbury Town Centre Policing Team added: "We're delighted that this project has reached this point. Maybe it will inspire the illegal graffiti artists to put their talents to better use."
