A charity is calling for a stop to damage to its Shaun the Sheep sculptures after yet more were damaged.
Martlets believes some are being deliberately vandalised, but others are being broken by high jinks late at night.
Shauns in Marlborough Place, Brighton, and St Anne’s Well Gardens were damaged over the weekend.
Other sculptures by the Pepperpot in Queens Park Road and outside the i360 were previously vandalised. #
But however the damage is done, it can cost up to £7,500 to repair a sculpture – and could risk them not being able to be auctioned after the trail finishes at the end of next month.
Tanya Hunt, director of income generation at Martlets says, “We know the sheep look so tempting to sit or jump up on, but they’re not toys – they’re works of art to be auctioned with an essential fundraising role in keeping Martlets caring.
“After the difficulties our city faced through COVID lockdowns we wanted to reconnect people to our work with a moment of joy.
“We’ve worked so hard along with our artists and sponsors to bring this trail to life, and with thousands of apps downloaded and maps handed out we know so many are enjoying it.
“We want people to make memories that matter, but stop and think before clambering on a sculpture for a photo or to impress your mates after a night out.
“We are urging everyone in our community to spread the word of the need for our work, keep the Shauns safe and keep Martlets caring.
“Please don’t climb on them, don’t sit on them, don’t graffiti them. Instead, please donate to help us keep the trail live till 5 November for all to enjoy.
“Every donation, no matter its size, has a direct impact on people who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness. It will mean that as people face their final days they can be lived with dignity and compassion, receiving specialist end-of-life care that Martlets delivers.”
A group of trail artists have issued the following, “A single sheep can take well over one hundred hours to paint.
“We were excited to see our work go out on the streets and our hope was that they would be enjoyed by the visitors and residents in Brighton & Hove.
“We are proud to have played our part in hopefully raising much needed funds to ensure the vital work of Martlets continues.
“However, we have also been deeply saddened and upset by the way that a few people have treated our work.
“Several of the sculptures have been deliberately damaged and some will take considerable expense and more of our time to repair them so that they are able to be auctioned.”
Text SHEEP to 70460 to give £3 or visit www.shaunbythesea.co.uk/donate/ to donate today and keep Martlets caring.
People are, unfortunately, moronic. When it comes to stuff like this, they need to be treated like children.
Can’t have nice things in a society that no longer punishes people for bad behaviour.
Well said our society is shocking . Children stabbing children. I dread to think what there home life is like.
I blame the government especially the tories.
The cuts while they waste money on migration boats boats boats bad ba dead sheep
The invisable Bobby on the beat
If you get raped in Sussex nothing is done
The met are misogynist trigger haters shooting innocent dogs instead of actually catching real criminals. Nothing for the children unless you want to tag walls stab a friend or throw a kid off a balcony on a roof. I was stalked by a Croydon lad last week. It was really scary
Iv never felt my ptsd hit me so bad after being raped in Hastings 24 years ago
This is so sad it’s moronic deliquant twunts
When we were kids we got punishment you’d say was illegal
But it did stop us going wild
Charity begins at home
But not in Brighton
I think we need hidden camera on them
Yes my thoughts exactly, 👍🏼then name, shame and punish the morons!
Even install alarms on them
Evidently not been to Martlets to visit any friends or family members using this service.Its end of life care with dignity and compassion whoever they are vandalising these sculptures are truly evil beings.
It makes me so furious. The Sean at the entrance to Preston Park had his eyes scratched out the other week; it was then repainted. I’ve now noticed that some imbecile has scratched their name across his face. That’s when when they’re not snapping newly planted saplings in half. Some people just can’t be around nice things 😞
HOW COME NO ONE EVER CATCHES THESE LITTLE TOSSERS ?
I volunteer at Martletts because of the excellent work they do and the end of life love and support they give to anyone in the area.
If anyone has benefited from this or experienced the love and care that this unfunded organisation gives, they should truly be ashamed of themselves and pray they or their family do not sadly need the support of the fundraising organisation they are destroying by this blatant vandalism.
This trail also brings joy to the whole community each year and the loss will be on you’re hands.
Maybe each should be fitted with an alarm that goes off if someone touches it. Might scare them off. Shouldn’t have to but unfortunately some people are low-lifes.
So much for feeling safe outside
Who would of thought big brother cctv will be keeping you safe
The deliquant morons must be on camera someone must be watching some of them
I’m still recovering after being stalked home last week. All the way from St James Street. He was from Croydon. He was annoying and creepy. I usally walk up back streets to mine. But I even felt safer walking up past the closed police station. Usally I go behind. So creepy 3 streets. I couldn’t wait to see the glass security door shut.
It’s not a kind place outside
That poor kid up Queens Road is heartbreaking my thoughts are with the family
Maybe we should use electric fence around the sheep.
I can’t eve they scratched the eye out.
The snails were not given this much greif from the scum bag low life deliquant
It saddens me how there is a segment of society that wants to do this, so mindless.
Little tossers.
Martlets do excellent work. So what are plod doing about this????
How come that, back in the day, there was no cctv, and yet plod used to be able to arrest wrongdoers, nowadays, there is cctv everywhere and no-one ever gets caught ???
Plod – get your finger out !!!
The.problem with society today is there is no respect. the government are to blame for taking away rights to discipline your children. You can’t ground them with out threats. So this is what the country now has to look forward to. Bring back national service. So they can be taught respect.
Maybe it might be worth asking local businesses to try and take them in at night so they are safe?
All this is the result of stopping punishment in schools and in the home, simple as that
What the hell is going on in this city. Can’t people just respect anyone’s property any more. I just hope that whoever has been vandalising these figures never needs Martlets themselves. Nothing clever about vandalism, just stupid pratts with nothing better to do.
If you don’t appreciate this city just piss off and leave this city to do what it needs to do to help charities in this county.
I reckon it’s drunken students who think what they do is clever. Ian
Unfortunately, Brighton can not have anything nice in its town centre. Louts see it as a thrill to damage it ,vandalise it , graffiti it etc .they probably put it out there on social media and brag about it .
It’s a lovely idea but we live in a completely different society these days .where some people don’t give a jot about anything.
I’d like to write beyond belief, but sadly not. God help these pathetic pieces of scum if one day they or a member of their family needs this wonderful charity’s help. My daughter loves these fantastic Shauns and to have them damaged by these degenerates is infuriating.