An artist who painted a mural in a seaside shelter has expressed ‘heartbreak’ after the painting was damaged in a suspected arson attack.
In recent years, the refuge on Gorleston’s promenade has become known to locals as the ‘love shelter’.
The nickname was inspired by a collaboration in 2021 which saw Justin Peach, AKA Greater Than, paint a mural based on the film 'Yesterday' and members of the community fill the walls with the word ‘love’.
The project’s aim was to celebrate local talent in the wake of Banksy’s ‘Spraycation’ that summer.
But on Sunday, June 4, part of the artwork was damaged when a stolen moped was set on fire in the shelter.
Mr Peach, 43, said: “I know that street art is temporary and either gets painted over or the weather takes it away.
"But to see it destroyed in this way is heartbreaking because it's a deliberate act."
He said there will be people who maintain that painting graffiti in the shelter is no different to burning a moped as "both are forms of vandalism".
"However, one was done as an act of love for the community and its link to the film 'Yesterday', and the other was mindless vandalism."
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Since the shelter was painted, more people scribbled their own 'love' on the walls and there have been reports of some people getting engaged under its roof.
Mr Peach stressed the incident should not stop people from "pushing the message of love" in the community and that young people in Gorleston needed to be encouraged to express themselves in a way that is productive.
He would love to return and repaint the shelter with the involvement of the community, he added.
"It might be nice to get local high school art students to help paint it as it would give them a sense of ownership and pride."
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