Retailer irate at tagging eyesore

GRAFFITI ATTACK: Lynn Simpson, owner of Black Sheep Jewellery in Masterton , surveys the graffiti scrawled across a second-storey stretch of wall at the rear of the Queen St shops and premises. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

Graffiti vandals have earned the wrath of a Masterton jewellery retailer.

Black Sheep Jewellery owner Lynn Simpson suspects holidaying schoolchildren sprayed an orange tangle of "tags", or graffiti signatures, on the rear wall of a building that neighbours her retail premises.

"They have tagged the walls there before but not like this. They've had a real good go at it this time. This is the worst I've ever seen it."

Ms Simpson, who believes the vandalism happened in the last seven days, reported the attack to police and the Masterton District Council, and was pleased "both organisations were treating it so seriously".

"It was an amazing response and it's reassuring because when visitors drive through a town with tagging everywhere, it looks like there's no pride in that town.

"I might not mind quite as much if there was a bit of art to it, but this is just an eyesore."

Ms Simpson said council officers had offered her the use of a graffiti removal kit and police photographed the tags, which deface a second-storey stretch of wall accessible by stairs at the rear of a building that houses the Fortitude Thai Boxing Gym and the Masterton Judo and Ju Jitsu Academy.

Older tags were scattered on other parts of the block, and Ms Simpson said the vandals had in the past pulled a downpipe away from the wall while climbing to deface a higher stretch of wall.

Ms Simpson hoped the culprits were captured on security cameras posted in places throughout the CBD and was keeping a weather eye for more attacks in the area.