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A foul-mouthed graffiti offender has defaced a city estate with highly racist and homophobic scrawlings – but the council will not remove it because it’s on private property.
The amateurish blue-painted messages include the c-word and the n-word and were sprayed on houses, walls, cars and even caravans on Walnut Tree.
“It’s unbelievably disgusting and shocking,” said Walton Community Council warden Tom Scott.
He said the graffitist attacked retirement accommodation on Hindhead Knoll and along Litchfield Down.
“This is sadly on a school run route for two schools. I really feel for the parents who have to try to explain to their kids what it actually means.
“The police and council have been informed. But as far as I know nothing has been done to remove it or to try and catch the perpetrator. Unfortunately I’m away on holiday so I feel so helpless that I’m not at home helping to get this removed as soon as possible.”
The Citizen contacted Milton Keynes City Council and a spokesperson told us: “We visited Walnut Tree this morning to assess the graffiti and given advice to local people and businesses with vandalised homes and vehicles.
“With the exception of some non-offensive graffiti on a bus shelter, which we will deal with, the graffiti is on private property. We can help private homeowners and businesses remove it at their request but this would generally require some cost recovery.”
The spokesperson added: “Having been made aware, the people we spoke today intend to try to remove it themselves.”
Residents are now determined to catch the culprit and are checking CCTV for last Thursday night and Friday morning to see if they can be spotted.
Any information will be handed to police, who have the power to arrest the offender and impose charges for homophobic and racist hate crimes as well as criminal damage. This could result in a prison sentence.
Any crime can be prosecuted as a hate crime if the offender has demonstrated hostility based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity.