A spate of graffiti has appeared on buildings and landmarks across Dorchester.

The county town has been tagged by graffiti, with a much loved statue targeted along with a wall near the town centre.

It is believed that the incidents occurred sometime between Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23. 

The perpetrator sprayed ‘ADHD R US’ with a backwards R, on the dray horse statue in Brewery Square which faces Weymouth Avenue.

They are also believed to have also daubed an anti-police message on the side of a wall in Trinity Street close to the Co-Op store. The graffiti is on 20 Trinity Street, a Dorset healthcare clinic. 

Bournemouth Echo:

The graffiti at Trinity Street reads: “I smell bacon, u smell grease, everyone run it’s Dorset Police.”

Next to the writing there is the word ‘oink’ with an outline of a pig and the same ‘ADHD R US’ writing.

Bournemouth Echo:

Steve Newman, town clerk for Dorchester Town Council, said: “I was very sad and disappointed to hear about the graffiti which appeared in town over the weekend, it is hugely disrespectful and I hope that the culprits will be found as soon as possible."

Cllr Alistair Chisholm, Mayor of Dorchester, said he was sorry to hear about the spate of vandalism in the town.

He said: “With the exception of Banksy, graffiti seldom enhances the town and should never be approved of.

“I suppose the most important thing regarding this specific spate is what the grievance is that the person’s relating to and why they feel as though the establishment is failing.

“If somebody feels that strongly about something, why aren’t they having a discussion about this and asking if there is there something we could do better?

“Maybe people don’t know how to criticise or comment in the right way. People know how to call 999 for the police, but what do you do if you want to complain about them? Maybe those channels could be made clearer.”

Cllr Chisholm said that the statue in Brewery Square is a ‘symbol of the town’ and ‘beautiful in its own right’ and added that he was sad to hear that it had been vandalised.   

At the time of writing, the incidents had not been reported to Dorset Police. 

Brewery Square has been contacted for comment. 

The vandalism comes after a spate of anti-Semitic and racist graffiti in Poundbury in February.

The graffiti on Melrose Court off Peverell Avenue East and at the play area on the Great Field was removed within a day or covered over, with a stronger police presence in the area following the vandalism.

Anyone with information relating to criminal damage and vandalism of property are urged to report it to the police in the first instance.