North East Lincolnshire Council’s Street Cleaning team has worked wonders to restore the Weelsby Woods lion back to its original state today, after it was spray painted in graffiti at the weekend.
Mindless vandals attacked the lion at the entrance to the woods, spraying its back, eyes and forehead with purple and green paint and the initials CD.
Offensive language was also found sprayed at the entrance to the Newby Centre, the cafeteria in Weelsby Woods, and across some of the bins.
Similar paint was used to deface the steps of the new Garth Lane Bridge – the fifth time the showcase bridge has been vandalised since it opened less than three years ago.
Today, the council’s specialist cleaning crew used gentle activating agents to lift the paint, repeating the clean several times to remove the darker colours, and taking care not to damage the lion further.
Cllr Stewart Swinburn, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Transport, said: “We are very grateful to the Street Cleaning Team for their efforts in restoring the historic lion back to its original state. It is such a shame that we have to deal with acts of vandalism like this to our iconic landmarks, which cost the tax payers money to restore.”
The lion, which has stood at the entrance to the woods since they opened in 1951, has been alone since a car accident destroyed the second lion, which sat opposite it, last year. Delicate repairs to that lion are still on-going.
“If anyone has any information regarding the vandalism, can they please call the police on 101 quoting crime reference 24000009722.”
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