Luton bollards painted to look like Minions 'whitewashed'

The Minions bollards in Luton were painted over by the council

Bollards painted to look like Minions from the Despicable Me films have been whitewashed over by the council.

Responsibility for the graffiti artwork, which appeared in Cumberland Street, Luton, earlier this year, had been claimed by the group #Uninvitedarts.

They had been described on social media as "brilliant".

Luton Borough Council said it painted over them and urged people not to engage in "illegal graffiti".

'Should stay'

The #Uninvitedarts group puts artworks in areas without permission.

When they appeared, Helen Bennett said on Facebook that "all bollards should become minions", while Sandy Gordon said "I love them! More cheery than concrete grey".

The bollard artwork has been done by the group #UninvitedArts

The painted bollards appeared in Cumberland Street, Luton

John Maher, from Luton, who spotted the white makeover, said he thought the Minion paintwork on the knee-high bollards should stay.

"It was a good safety thing, they were bright yellow, no one could miss them," he said.

"I was wondering why they hadn't done it to all the bollards."

A council spokesman said: "The council welcomes the support of residents in its bid for city of culture status and is keen to encourage all forms of innovative art.

"Before groups or individuals engage in what can be interpreted as illegal graffiti, the removal of which can be costly and take money away from other services, we would urge them to engage in dialogue so we can together display Luton's vibrant art scene to its best advantage."

Luton is preparing to launch a bid to become the UK City of Culture in 2025.

City of Culture status is designed to raise the profile of an area's arts and creativity, attract business investment and boost tourism.