Tynemouth Station: Palestine refugee mural removed after threat

The mural had been on display in Tynemouth Station for 11 years

A "friendship" mural created by young Palestinian refugees has been removed from a train station after a council received a threat it could be defaced.

North Tyneside Council said it feared someone would daub red paint on it and it took action to protect it.

The artwork had been on display at Tynemouth Metro Station since 2012, and was taken down last Friday.

The mural has been moved to storage and the council said "if there is a time to put it back up, we will".

Tynemouth station is owned and managed by Station Developments Ltd

The artwork was created as part of the Shatila Street Art Project 2012, in which 10 children and three teachers from the Shatila refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon, visited North Tyneside for sketching and spray-painting lessons.

The trip was organised by Cullercoats based writer Peter Mortimer, who helped set up the Shatila Theatre Charity.

Two North Tyneside artists, Faye Oliver and Anthony Downie, helped create the mural.

Mr Downie said the mural was "only meant to be up for six months".

"If it has been removed because of the current conflict, it is complete madness," he said.

"An art mural of friendship created by children over a decade ago should not be removed because of the actions of a far right militant group."

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It has been three weeks since Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel. Israel has since conducted intense bombing on the Gaza Strip.

North Tyneside Council said it continued to engage with and support communities impacted by the events in the Middle East.

A spokesperson from Metro operator Nexus said: "We have no connection with the mural in the market area at Tynemouth Station."

Northumbria Police said it had not received reports of any threat.