Graffiti artists are honoured for work THE creative skills displayed during a street art project in West Dorset have been celebrated at an event in Dorchester.

West Dorset District Council chairman Gillian Summers hosted the awards event for the ‘good graffiti’ project which she set up in towns across the district.

The six-month project saw dedicated graffiti walls created in Dorchester, Bridport and Sherborne in a bid to cut vandalism and graffiti in unwanted places.

Certificates were handed out to those who took part and special awards were given to those whose works received the most number of ‘likes’ on the project’s Facebook page at facebook.com/goodgraffiti The winners were also given printed posters of their works, with the posters also available to buy through the website.

Cllr Summers said the evening was ‘great fun’ although sadly some of the students involved could not make it but they will all have their certificates sent out to them.

At the awards event the artists that led the project, those involved in the scheme and even members of the public were invited to spray paint a car. The vehicle belonged to Neil Siford from Bridport, who along with a group of friends is entering the Monte Carlo or Bust fundraising competition.

The challenge sees competitors buy a car for under £250 and paint it up before driving from the United Kingdom to Monaco.

Mr Siford will be raising money for the British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK on his trip.

The car features a Jurassic Coast inspired design and will sport the good graffiti project logo.

Cllr Summers said: “It looks amazing and it’s going to be carrying the good graffiti logo across Europe.”

Also at the event was representive Jacky Stevens for Network Rail, which had given permission for the Damers Road railway bridge to be used for the scheme in Dorchester.

Cllr Summers said that Network Rail was happy for the site to continue to be used provided nothing ‘untoward’ goes up there and is also looking to roll the scheme out at other stations along the Weymouth to Bristol railway line.

Cllr Summers said that she was hoping to run the project again next winter across three different sites, with any owners of suitable sites in West Dorset urged to get in touch with her by emailing cllrg.summers@westdorset-dc.gov.uk