Artworks have been ruined by simple white paint

A MYSTERY vandal has whitewashed popular street art in Belsize Park – but one piece has survived the attack.

The Make Tea Not War stencil by Bambi, which recreated a New Journal photograph of shopkeeper June Beechey, was among those targeted over the past fortnight. The Bambi stencil, which has become a niche landmark of Belsize Village since it went up in 2011, was saved because it was behind a perspex protective shield that was easily cleaned up of the white paint.

But a piece depicting the Queen playing drums by artist Loretto – which has been in Belsize Lane since the Jubilee in 2022 – has been erased permanently. Alive or Dread’s depiction of a boy holding the Ukraine flag in Belsize Terrace, also from 2022, has also been destroyed.

In an intriguing twist, residents suggested the whitewasher might be an environmentalist as a mural of environmentalist Greta Thunberg in Belsize Park has been spared.

Lady Shireen Fraser, who lives in Belsize Park, described the destruction as a “sad loss” and the street art had been “cherished”, she said, adding:“Street art brings a great pleasure to the community, especially the Bambi one of Mrs Beechey. I feel painting over them was a nasty, vindictive act of vandalism.”

Bob Padron, from the Belsize Village Business Association, said: “There was nothing strange going on in the village before this happened. We have often had crazies over the years. But we have had no crazy person get in touch about this, or anything like that.

“It feels like the same person who did the Make Tea Not War did the other ones too. It looks like the same modus operandi. We noticed that they didn’t paint over the one with Greta Thunberg. But at least the very historic one has been saved.”

The whitewashed walls, and what used to be seen on them

He added: “The Bambi one has been there for years and I’ve never had anyone complain about it. It was painted over but because of the perspex it was protected.”

Bambi’s 2011 stencil was restored and put behind a perspex by Belsize resident Richard Lagani in 2021.

Bambi, whose work focuses on female identity, also helped touch it up at the time. The Make Tea Not War stencil was made from a photo which appeared in the New Journal of shopkeeper June who ran RJ Welsh’s hardware shop in Regent’s Park Road for 52 years.

Camden Council said neither them nor their contractor Veolia was responsible.