Graffiti by Worthing's Banksy should be removed, council officers say

Kenny Tutt with his mural, which could be removedKenny Tutt with his mural, which could be removed
Kenny Tutt with his mural, which could be removed
Graffiti by a mystery artist who has been dubbed Worthing’s answer to Banksy might be cleaned off if council officers get their way.

Horace’s interpretations of 11 of Worthing’s most famous sons and daughters on various buildings around the town have won a lot of fans.

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The murals of Masterchef winner Kenny Tutt outside 28 Warwick Street, Worthing, and CBBC presenter Dave Benson Phillips on the New Amsterdam pub in High Street, Worthing, face being erased as they are on listed buildings.

Worthing Borough Council’s planning committee was due to make a decision on the murals at a meeting on Wednesday night (May 29).

Kenny Tutt with his mural, which could be removedKenny Tutt with his mural, which could be removed
Kenny Tutt with his mural, which could be removed

In a report prepared for the committee by the director for economy Martin Randall, he recommended that the owners of both listed buildings ‘be requested to remove the unauthorised artwork within 28 days’.

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If the art was still there, an enforcement notice should be the next step, he said.

While councillors could grant temporary permission while listed building consent was sought, he warned: “Your officers are concerned about setting a precedent and encouraging such graffiti on our best heritage assets in the town.”

According to the report, on March 21 the council received a complaint about the mural of Billy Idol on The Egremont pub in Brighton Road – but as the owner had given his permission for Horace to paint it and it was not a listed building, there was nothing the council could do.

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Royal Blood are among the Worthing celebrities immortalised in spray paintRoyal Blood are among the Worthing celebrities immortalised in spray paint
Royal Blood are among the Worthing celebrities immortalised in spray paint

The owners of the other eight non-listed buildings also give their permission, the report stated, but planning permission was needed for the other two murals, regardless of whether the owners consented or not.

The 11 celebrities immortalised in spray paint also include Game of Thrones and Star Wars actress Gwendoline Christie, radio DJ Simon Mayo, Oscar Wilde, Brit award-winning band Royal Blood and Hollywood actress Nicolette Sheridan.