Police hunt mystery 'Wokesy' vandal spraying strange graffiti across town

Police hunt mystery 'Wokesy' vandal spraying strange graffiti across town A historic hotel, bowls club and newly installed bus shelters are among the unlikely targets of a bizarre graffiti spree that has continued across the Suffolk market town for months A mystery graffiti vandal dubbed ‘Wokesy’ has been causing havoc across a sleepy market town for months. The bizarre tag has repeatedly appeared across Bungay, Suffolk, with the word “woke” spray-painted on buildings, bus shelters, road signs and other property. The vandal has also used the initials “OTC”, while the word “zest” has appeared at some locations. The culprit has since been nicknamed ‘Wokesy’ in a nod to street artist Banksy. Wokesy has left their mark across the town, including on a newly installed bus shelter on St John’s Road, while road and diversion signs around the Ditchingham A143/Norwich Road roundabout were also defaced. The historic Bungay Bowls Club, believed to date back to 1886, was also hit, with its sign and banners damaged. Club chairman Dominic Belisario said: “It has not affected any club activities, but it will cost the club to clean or replace the damaged banner and sign.” The vandal has even targeted the 16th-century King’s Head Hotel in the town centre, which has been closed since 2012 and once featured on Channel 4’s Four in a Bed . The word “woke” was reportedly sprayed more than 15 times across the building in colours including black, pink and light blue. Peter Scott, a Neighbourhood Watch coordinator in Bungay, previously described the problem as a “growing epidemic”. He said: “This has become a real problem – nothing drags an area down worse than graffiti. It’s awful for tourism, too. “Cleaning it off is not the answer, the culprits need to be caught. I fear, unless some concerted effort is made, the problem will continue to get worse.” Volunteers have repeatedly stepped in to remove the graffiti whenever it appears, but the mystery vandal has yet to be caught. A Suffolk Constabulary spokesman said: “We have seen damage to numerous business items, mainly bus shelters, road signs, and town council signs, with repeat graffiti. “Police have been working with the town council and district councillors to manage concerns. A community meeting was held with businesses affected to come together and ensure a joint approach, to provide reassurance and to discuss the issues.” Suffolk Constabulary also said community volunteers have continued removing graffiti whenever it appears. Anyone with information is asked to contact Suffolk Police, quoting crime reference 37/28300/26.