Country park tunnel gets mural to deter vandalism

A mural has been unveiled at a country park in an attempt to deter graffiti.

Ripple Effect by Emma Garness has been painted in a pedestrian tunnel at Hessle Country Park and celebrates the surrounding land and water.

It was designed in consultation with the Friends of the Humber Bridge Country Park group and the Humber Rescue lifeboat group.

The area around the Humber Bridge has been plagued by vandalism, including memorial benches being damaged and a newly-installed flood barrier being smashed.

The mural was painted by students from Malet Lambert School, Hull, and members of Gilberdyke Youth Club.

Ms Garness said she was thrilled with the pupils' work.

"They were all a massive help, and as a group they were a force of nature," she said.

An East Riding of Yorkshire Council spokesperson said: "In our experience, other sites benefitting from a mural rarely, if at all, suffer from more incidents of graffiti, meaning that there is a long-term improvement to the visual amenity of the area and no cost to the public purse in removing it."

Lyn Healing, the council's cabinet member for housing and public protection, said the authority was committed to tackling issues such as graffiti.

"This is a fantastic initiative and it's great to see so many volunteers play an active role in improving our communities," she said.

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