Resident's anger over 'cover up' of her much admired community swan mural in Milton Keynes

Alexandra Wells says she was shocked after returning to her Tinkers Bridge home on Thursday morning to find the 6ft swan mural on a wall outside her property, covered with paint. (9/6)

She said there was no advance warning nor was she made aware of any complaints: “I’m so sad, lost for words,” she said. “Workmen just turned up when I was out and defaced the mural I had painted with white paint. They’re real killjoys.

“I'm a housing association tenant and my landlord likes the mural and was disappointed to hear it had gone.

“The mural has been there for the community for years and I only added cygnets to it recently for the Jubilee weekend. It's now a white wall so doesn’t even complement the rest of the magnolia coloured wall.

“I posted my complaint on Facebook and had a message from a resident saying she witnessed workers in a council van paint the wall and they even hung around for ages afterwards. Have they got nothing better to do than waste time and money painting unnecessary areas?

“It's really upset me.

"I've had no letters or complaints about my mural and the community really like it, it brightens their day and the children love it.

“There are around 500 residents on this estate and everyone loves it.

“It was even featured on the Channel 4 TV programme, Milton Keynes and Me, about five or six years ago.”

Alexandra has referred her complaint to John Orr, local councillor for Tinkers Bridge.

Mr Orr said he was aware of the complaint and had advised Ms Wells he would be supporting her once all the facts had been established.

A spokesman for Milton Keynes Council confirmed the mural had been removed by it contractors.

The spokesman said: “Following a resident complaint about graffiti on the building, our contractors removed it.

“We are able to repaint the wall further if the resident desires this (to restore it to the original colour)”.