Milton Keynes artist will repaint swan mural after council cover up
- Published
Alexandra Wells painted the 6ft (1.8m) mural on her Milton Keynes home "because there are black swans on Willen Lake in the city"
An artist said she will repaint a large picture of a swan on the side of her house after the council covered it up.
Alexandra Wells painted the 6ft (1.8m) mural on her home in Milton Keynes about five years ago.
She said she was "shocked and upset" that the council painted over it while she was out.
Milton Keynes Council said the artwork was covered up after a complaint from a resident.
Ms Wells said she had painted the image of a black swan in the shape of a number two because there are black swans on the city's Willen Lake and she lives at number two.
"I like swans," she said, "and people don't always see the number when they drive past.
"There is a community here who love it."
Milton Keynes Council said it painted over the mural after a complaint from a resident
She added she had "no warning and no letters" from the council and they "just turned up and painted over it when I was out".
"I was literally crying, I was so upset," she said.
"It's just not on [to] turn up at people's properties and carte blanche paint over everything you might not like.
"It's been up there for five years and no one has complained or said anything to me or anyone else that they don't like it, and I think five years is quite a long time to voice an opinion."
'Upsetting'
Ms Wells said she intends to repaint it and has asked the authority for "assurance that it won't happen again".
She added that if she did not hear from the council she would still do it "because it's not their wall".
Milton Keynes Council said: "Following a resident complaint about graffiti on the building, our contractors removed it.
"We are able to repaint the wall further if the resident desires this (to restore it to the original colour)."
The property managers said they had no issue with the mural being painted on Ms Wells' home, and would continue to work with her.
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