Wigan councillor slams "Covid lie" graffiti scrawled on buildings

Vandals have scrawled graffiti denying Covid-19 on the outside of two buildings in a Wigan town.
Graffiti scrawled on Ashton LibraryGraffiti scrawled on Ashton Library
Graffiti scrawled on Ashton Library

Coun Anthony Sykes has called the graffiti "offensive codswallop" after discovering it on Ashton Library and the new health centre on Thursday night (January 7).

Pictures show the words "Covid lie" plastered on both buildings and Coun Sykes acted quickly to change the writing to "Covid, thank you NHS."

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Describing the graffiti as "idiotic disinformation" and the perpetrators as "Covidiots", Coun Sykes tweeted: "Think Ashton folk like me would stand for silly potentially harmful Covid graffiti that would embarrass our town?

Graffiti scrawled on the new health centre in AshtonGraffiti scrawled on the new health centre in Ashton
Graffiti scrawled on the new health centre in Ashton

"Idiotic disinformation that insults thousands of folk who are sick, bereaved and the NHS staff inside that very building? Think again Covidiots. Fixed it, before and after pics."

The images were also circulated on social and caused widespread disgust, with Coun Sykes saying several residents contacted him including his own daughter.

Determined to get rid of the graffiti, Coun Sykes said he decided to cover it over after a friend told him it would make more of a mess using paint remover.

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He said: "I tried sandpaper and then called a friend who worked in auto industry and asked about paint remover. He told me it would make more of a mess and that powerful pressure washers are used to blast it off.

Coun Sykes with his new messageCoun Sykes with his new message
Coun Sykes with his new message

"I just couldn’t leave it, so made the difficult decision to cover it over. I channeled my inner Banksy, did a stencil in tape to make a neat rectangle , used the lightest dusting of white spray possible to cover the “LIES” and then did the thank you in duct tape."

Coun Sykes said he reported the incident straight away and informed police that he was going to attempt to remove it and cover it.

He said: "My daughter was disgusted as my children have lost their maternal grandfather to Covid.

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"I reported it straight away and no doubt the council will remove it ASAP but services are stretched.

"There was a weather warning for today, so I was concerned it would be there over the weekend.

"I reported this to Central Watch straight away and I asked then to let police know and to tell them I was going to attempt to remove / cover it."

He added: "This silly disinformation is potentially harmful and an insult to NHS staff working so hard in one of the buildings it was sprayed on, plus thousands of sick and bereaved people .

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"As for it being sprayed on the library, whoever did it should try going in reading a few books instead of spraying offensive codswallop on it?"

Ashton resident Danny Fletcher, who joined Coun Sykes in covering the graffiti up, also expressed his "disgust".

He said: "I joined Coun Sykes in temporally covering up the disgusting graffiti at Ashton Library and health centre.

"It’s easy to remove material, so it will do until the council sort it out. There's no way we could leave this.

"Although Ashton library is technically in Bryn, at least its now sorted for both Ashton and Bryn wards

"Also CCTV is being looked at as we speak and I'm confident they’ll be caught ASAP."