A council contractor has apologized after painting over a mural of the late poet and Peaky Blinders star Benjamin Zephaniah in central Birmingham.
The painting appeared on the wall of an underpass last month after Zephaniah’s death in December at the age of 65.
A crew working for Birmingham City Council’s highways sub-contractor, Kier, removed the graffiti because it was painted on a wall just outside of an area that had been designated for wall art.
A council spokesperson said the local authority would seek to ensure the wall is covered by a protection order to ‘further mitigate against this happening again in future.’
A Kier spokesperson added: ‘We apologise for any hurt or distress we have caused by painting over this mural, crews were carrying out their standard duties and there was no ill-intent, but we accept the upset caused by our actions.
‘We are working with Birmingham City Council to review the graffiti removal process with a view to ensure more sensitivity is demonstrated moving forward. We would welcome the opportunity to work with the artist and provide supplies in order to recreate artwork to represent Benjamin and his life.’
