Workers start removing City Gate graffiti

The controversial graffiti of a silhouetted boy and a girl arching their arms to form a heart will soon disappear from the City Gate entrance as a cleaning team went on site last night. The cleaning works will run up a bill of €4,000, “excluding VAT”, according to Chris Paris, CEO of the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation. The major cost lies in the equipment used to remove the graffiti at its particular height, he said – although last night the start of cleaning works were delayed when the cherry picker appeared to malfunction. A specific type of cherry picker is being used to ensure the safety of the workers. The cleaning process is expected to take between one and three days. “The perpetrator must have been quite intrepid – he balanced on the tiny ledge overlooking the large drop down to the ditch. We carried out a risk assessment as we didn’t want to expose the workers to the risk,” said Mr Paris. The graffiti appeared on the left side of City Gate overlooking the ditch in the early hours on August 29. The police are still looking for the perpetrator, who was spotted spraying the graffiti by a police patrol at about 4am. The incident stirred a debate as the metre-high...