Banned from cleaning off graffiti

THE Best Kept Village Committee at Wombourne on the Staffs & Worcs Canal has been stopped from cleaning the graffiti off its canal bridges by British Waterways.

Red tape and of course the ridiculous health and safety rules have meant that they have been ordered not to scrub off the unsightly daubed paint from the canal bridges in the village, Alan Tilbury reveals.

Targeted by vandals

Having been targeted by vandals, the bridges are a mess, and will of course affect the judging of the Best Kept Village competition, but the villagers can do nothing about it unless they agree to take specialist training!

The volunteers were hoping to better last year's second place finish in Staffordshire's annual contest, and Parish Councillor Jackie Granger told that committee members were frustrated after a year of trying to clean the bridges and help their chances.

Grinding halt

British Waterways, will not fund its own clean-up, and will not allow the villagers to do it either, with Jackie Granger telling that  they have come to a grinding halt, adding:

"We'd like to have it done by the time judges visit in May. The spray paint has been there for some time. British Waterways can't do it because of the cost, so we're now discussing the possibility of them training us to do it. It is frustrating but it isn't our property."

Keen for communities

A spokesman for British Waterways, claimed:

"As management of the waterways is due to move to the charitable sector we're keen for communities to take an active role in the upkeep of their canal or river."