Upfest: Street art vandal suspect images released

Images of a man police would like to speak with have been released

An art festival director says he hopes a vandal who sprayed threats on 12 specially-commissioned street murals is found before they strike again.

Stephen Hayles, founder of Europe's largest street art festival Upfest, in south Bristol, believes the same person has targeted the area before.

Avon and Somerset Police released new images of a suspect they would like to speak to about the incidents.

Mr Hayles said he had been comforted by the response of the local community.

Because of Covid-19, the main Upfest festival, which brings tens of thousands of visitors to Bedminster, Southville and Ashton every summer, is not taking place this year.

Instead, organisers invited street artists from across the UK to paint 75 new murals in 75 days.

Mr Hayles said he had been touched by offers from people: "We were approached by a scenic painter from Aardman who offered their time, and a local family gave us a few hundred pounds towards the cost of repairs," he said.

"We have also had Bristol artists offering to repair the murals that were done by people from other parts of the country."

CCTV captured a man moving through the area in south Bristol

While some of the artwork was still fresh, the vandal daubed slogans including "Kill Upfest" on 12 different murals between 01:00 and 06:00 BST on 19 July.

"I just felt sick," said Mr Hayles, who found out about the vandalism the next morning.

• The city that started the British street art scene

• UK's largest female-led street art to be completed

"It wasn't just that the artworks had been attacked, for us it was very much about the wording that was used, and the fact they had written on the Upfest gallery window as well.

"My daughter, who's six, was off from school and could quite easily have come in with me that morning."

Mr Hayles revealed similar slogans had been written on billboards in the area three months ago.

New murals, such as this one by Insane51, have been created as part of the 75 in 75 campaign

"We didn't make it known then, we just got in touch with the companies whose billboards were involved and they dealt with it.

"We're really keen they are found because we just don't want it to happen again."

Over the course of three months street artists such as HazardOne are creating new murals in south Bristol

Avon and Somerset Police's area commander for South Bristol, Ch Insp Olly Cosgrove, described the actions of the vandal as "mindless and selfish" and urged anyone with information to contact police.