Criminals have sprayed graffiti tags across a railway bridge that had recently received a fresh undercoat ready for an approved mural.

The metal panels on the bridge along the Highway, which sits above the railway track linking Newport to the nearby Pontypool New Inn railway station, had been treated with the new white base coat prior to the mural being painted.

New Inn councillor Nick Byrne reported his disappointment upon discovering shortly after the preparation work was finished that a large set of letters spelling ‘Pooly’ had been spray painted onto the bridge panels, while a tag-style design bearing the same name had been applied to a side panel alongside another tag reading ‘Hillard’.

Cllr Byrne stated that the bridge had received an undercoat for a mural and has now been covered in graffiti.

Caerphilly-based street artist Paul Shepherd, operating under the name Walls By Paul, is scheduled to paint the approved mural on the side of the railway bridge.

Cllr Byrne expressed that it was saddening to witness this after all the effort put into preparing the site for Walls By Paul, who would be creating a mural featuring elements relevant to New Inn.

Cllr Byrne noted his disappointment that someone had come along and graffitied the surface, expressing hope that this would not happen once the mural was finished.

Cllr Byrne mentioned he had forwarded photographs of the unauthorised tagging to Gwent Police, although the force indicated that local councils bear responsibility for graffiti.