Cleaning random graffiti off Clitheroe Castle walls will cost thousands, says council

On Monday, we reported how random names and sentences had been scrawled onto the walls at Clitheroe Castle keep, some etched in, some written in blue marker pen.

A total of 27 names, slogans and images were daubed onto the walls, with Ribble Valley Borough Council's community committee estimating the damage will cost thousands of pounds to put right.

The vandalism is the latest in a string of similar acts in the Ribble Valley and the second at the keep in less than a year.

'Emma is meals discord kitten' - random graffiti scrawled on Clitheroe Castle

Council officials say they are determined to find who is responsible for the graffiti, after involving the police, and say the culprits, once found, will face the full force of the law and a hefty bill.

Chairman of the council’s community committee, Ricky Newmark, said: “We have had enough of this. What on earth are these people thinking of?

“Clitheroe Castle is the jewel in the borough’s crown and it is beyond belief that anyone would deface it in this way."

A specialist team of restorers had to be drafted in to clean the keep at a cost of £2,000 to council taxpayers after names were daubed on its walls last year.

But the cost of rectifying the latest incident could top £10,000 and Ribble Valley Borough Council, which owns Clitheroe Castle, said those responsible will be made to pay.

Mr Newmark continued: "This latest incident has caused inestimable damage to the keep and a team of specialist cleaners will have to be drafted in yet again to assess the ancient stonework and remove the graffiti.

“We are determined to recover the costs for rectifying the damage and are asking anyone with information to do the decent thing and step forward.”

Police will this week be contacting schools and youth groups in a bid to catch the vandals.

However, if you have information about the incident, call the police in confidence on 101 citing the log number 0568 of October 1.