Skateboarders disappointed after charity event graffiti removed

North Hykeham Town Council removed the graffiti the following day

Skateboarders have said "it's a shame" that graffiti celebrating the amount of money they raised for charity was removed by the town council.

Chris Cheevers organised a charity event at the Fen Lane playing fields skatepark in North Hykeham, Lincoln.

He said the event raised about £900 for Cancer Research which was spray-painted onto the ramp as a celebration.

However, the town council said it had removed the graffiti the next day because some of it was offensive.

North Hykeham Town Council (NHTC) also said the group had not been granted permission to hold the event.

Chris Cheevers said the offensive words were written on the floor in chalk which would have "washed away with rain"

Mr Cheevers said: "The whole day was a huge success. We kept the noise level down and we left the place tidier than we found it by picking up every last bit of litter.

"Being a public skatepark, there is quite a lot of graffiti all over the place. It is to be expected and in most places, it is actually encouraged.

"So when we painted the total amount raised on the top of the ramps in order to leave our mark and show how proud we were of what we had achieved, we did not see this as vandalism and we certainly did not see it as offensive.

"I have heard rumours since that some rude words were written somewhere on the floor, but it was done in kids' chalk that washes away with rain so, technically and legally, it isn't even graffiti.

"It was a great event for a great cause. It just seems a shame that the hard work put in by the organisers has been soured by the response of the council."

'Sadness and disappointment'

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said two days after the event, which took place on 20 August, the town council posted a statement on its website, criticising the organisers for hosting the unapproved event in a public open space.

The statement read: "It was with great sadness and disappointment that the town council discovered vandalism tantamount to criminal damage at the skatepark on Witham Fields [otherwise known as the Fen Lane playing fields] after an unapproved event took place there.

"The council can only apologise to all other users of the area who observed the offensive graffiti that was left on the skatepark by some of those who had attended that event."

Mr Cheevers said: "We raised a total of £909.97 in the end and donated it all to Cancer Research UK.

"I am still very proud of myself and even prouder of all my friends who helped make this happen. The day was a huge success and I intend to do the exact same thing next year."