Not all graffiti is art, far from it - in despair at the mess made of Sunderland

This magical image was captured by a photographer who deemed it too special not to share.

The artwork leaves little doubt that Nicole does indeed ‘heart’ the preux chevalier Connor, 4EVER (2022). The romantically minded can relate to the scenario.

The Taj Mahal was commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a monument to his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal and immortalises their love.

Nicole, or her beau Connor, perhaps restrained by a more modest budget than Shah Jahan, cut their cloth accordingly.

The canvas for this moving declaration was a 1,100-litre Sunderland City Council commercial wheelie bin.

Are Nicole and Connor star-cross’d lovers? It may be snobbish of me, but I suspect not. Neither set of their parents seems likely to regard the soulmate of their offspring as being of inferior stock.

The inscription was daubed in 2022 and, young love being what it is, our golden couple are probably no longer an item this deep into 2023.

The vandalism has probably outlasted the romantic entanglement. For that is what it is; vandalism.

A question that is never satisfactorily answered of vandals is “Why do they do it”? It invariably looks awful.

Occasionally it’s suggested that the hip-hop eyesore stuff is genuine art and original.

What qualifies as art is subjective, but something seen beside virtually every railway line in the West can hardly be considered original; unless original is synonymous with ruddy awful.

Certainly, it’s hard to imagine art critics poring over it during a subway cheese and wine gathering.

What sort of mind actually favours this sort of thing?

Along with those who participate in the accompanying issue of entirely unjustifiable littering, the only positive thing its protagonists do is present a social group which the rest of us can look down upon.

A delightful story in the Echo recently concerned nine year-old Lucy McCormick, who is annoyed by litter to the point where she goes out and bags it up herself. Bravo Lucy.

A pity though that eedjits have made it necessary in the first place.

I’m perfectly aware that writing this will achieve nothing; but I feel better for it.