New Shrewsbury mural aims to brighten up town and reduce graffiti

A professional graffiti artist has created a striking Shrewsbury mural alongside the Dana footpath in the town centre.

The artwork, along the back of the Castle Carpets building, was commissioned by Shropshire Council at the request of Shrewsbury police and local Shropshire Councillor Andrew Bannerman, due to the amount of illegal graffiti being sprayed on the wall by ‘taggers’.

The artwork is being created by Neil Willis who owns Auniqueart in Telford.

The project was organised by Shropshire Council’s public protection officer, Gillian Denning, who secured funding from the local Bronze Level Tasking group.

Sergeant Richard Coles from Shrewsbury Town Centre police, said:

“We’re delighted that this project has reached this point. The area has been a target for graffiti some time now, some of it quite offensive. Being close to The Castle, the area is visited by a number of visitors to the town and must give a poor impression. We’re very grateful to ‘Auniqueart’ for getting involved in this project. Maybe it will inspire the illegal graffiti artists to put their talents to better use.”

Simon Jones, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for environmental maintenance, said:

“Graffiti makes an area look untidy, may cover important notices, and can be very costly to remove. If anyone spots graffiti we ask them to contact the council and tell us where it is and whether it’s racist or overtly offensive. Even if the graffiti is on private property we may be able to contact the property owner and ask them to remove it.”

To report graffiti to Shropshire Council, call 0345 678 9006.

Pictured with Neil Willis is Chiara Ireland Morris, an art student from Bishop’s Castle.