Mystery of the missing banner

A banner which was promoting a charity Christmas card sale in Burgess Hill has been taken away.
A similar banner in Burgess Hill. Photo supplied by Ray Exall.A similar banner in Burgess Hill. Photo supplied by Ray Exall.
A similar banner in Burgess Hill. Photo supplied by Ray Exall.

The charity Cards for Good Causes had put the banner up on the roundabout at the east end of Queen Elizabeth Avenue, near the McDonalds.

The banner was promoting a Christmas card sale in the town library. It was taken down and taken away last weekend.

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This is the second year running that they have had a banner taken from that spot.

Caroline Exall, who manages the Christmas card shop, said: “The town council, from whom we have to obtain permission to put up the banner, confirm they have not taken the banner down so it is a complete mystery that it should disappear again.”

Ray Exall told the Middy that they are baffled by the apparent theft.

“It’s just so strange that exactly the same thing happened last year,” he said. “We’re not accusing anybody, we’re saying: ‘What on Earth has happened?’

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“We had to get permission from the local town council - if anybody was going to take it down it would be them. But I can’t imagine anybody is going to go out of their way to vandalise a charity banner.”

He has checked with both the Highways Agency and Burgess Hill Town Council, and both denied having anything to do with the banner disappearing. Ray said he doesn’t believe vandals are responsible, as the black plastic cable ties that held the banner to the railings were completely removed.

If it was an instance of vandalism, he said, he would expect some trace of the ties to be left behind.

The Christmas card sale is being held at the library in The Martlets from Monday to Saturday until December 17. The cards are sold on behalf of more than two dozen local and national charities.

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