Bristol rainbow crossing graffiti 'saddens' Pride campaigner

The crossing was unveiled on 30 June with the graffiti appearing just a couple of days later

Graffiti scrawled on a rainbow road crossing in Bristol proves why such efforts to support the LGBTQ+ community are needed, a campaigner has said.

The puffin crossing, incorporating the Pride Progress Flag, was installed on Wine street in Bristol on 30 June.

Less than 48 hours later it had been defaced.

The crossing has now been cleaned. Bristol Pride organiser Daryn Carter said he had been disappointed but not surprised by the graffiti.

"I know a lot of people who are quite shocked, but the reality for our community is that it's something that we still face quite regularly," he said.

"If you ever needed a reason to see why we need things like this [rainbow crossing], then this is why.

"This wonderful, progressive, road crossing has been put into the city to celebrate Pride and it's been vandalised already."

Daryn Carter (centre front) who attended the unveiling of the crossing, called the graffiti "saddening"

A Pride parade was set to take place in Bristol this week, but the delay in easing Covid restrictions forced a postponement.

However, a range of events are still being held in venues across the city as part of Bristol Pride Festival, which began on Saturday and runs until 16 July.

Bristol City Council has said the crossing will be in place for the foreseeable future and mayor Marvin Rees was among those to express their disappointment that it had been vandalised so soon after being completed.