A mural in Bournemouth, created to highlight the area’s football club and its LGBTQ+ community, has been vandalised.
Just days after the unveiling of the new art, which was created by MBN Arts for AFC Bournemouth (AFCB), offenders have vandalised the LGBTQ+ flag section of the painting, colouring over it with a marker pen.
Mike Ness, who worked on the mural, said: “To hear that the LGBTQ flag had been recently defaced on our latest mural for AFCB, is disappointing.
“The mural was designed to celebrate the diverse groups AFCB supports and is inclusive of.
“The flag is representative of many people associated with this great club from our community and these actions bring negativity to what was a very positive project.
“It is important to have open and honest conversations regarding topics of this nature, as then we can grow together in understanding and compassion as a community.”
A spokesperson for AFC Bournemouth added: ‘We are incredibly disappointed by this incident.
“Having this flag featured in the mural was a conscious effort to show the local community that we are a club that prides ourselves on providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all. We’re saddened to think that this feeling isn’t shared by everybody.”