Contractors appointed to clear-up bizarre 'George Bush snr' graffiti at Penshaw Monument

The Echo reported how vandalism, believed to have been carried out over the weekend of January 21, had angered many visitors to Sunderland’s most visible landmark.

The bizarre graffiti includes references to George Bush Snr, who has not been US President for 30 years and died in 2018.

Obscenities and other wording have been sprayed onto the south-facing side of the monument’s plinth, looking towards Herrington Park and stretching across about 15 feet of stonework.

There is further damage to the west side and 12 of the 1845 structure’s 18 pillars were daubed with either a letter A or a M.

Sunderland’s most visible landmark is owned by the National Trust. The charity has not given a precise figure for the repair bill, but says it will run to “thousands of pounds”.

The cost of the clean up is high as it is not simply a matter of soap and elbow grease.

Even worse vandalism was committed in December 2020 when swastikas and homophobic messages were sprayed on the plinth. Specialist contractors and materials were needed to remove the damage that yobs had left at the Grade I listed monument.

The National Trust is a charity and now must dip into its funds. However, the trust has said that the matter is in hand and that work to remove the paint will begin before long.

The National Trust’s general manager for South of Tyne, Eric Wilton, said: “We have appointed contractors to remove the graffiti and we expect them to be on site soon to remove it”.

In a January statement the trust said: “We are committed to restoring and protecting this special place and aim to start the work as soon as possible so visitors can continue to enjoy the beauty of the area.”

The trust did not say if any extra security was to be put in place at the site.

Anyone with information on the vandalism of Penshaw Monument is asked to call Northumbria Police on 101.