Anger as vandals target famous Sheffield mural

The towering 42ft mural of stainless steel pioneer Harry Brearley, on the wall of The Howard pub, is admired by thousands of people every day as they make their way to and from Sheffield station.

But the great innovator's face has been splattered with red and white paint in a mindless act which has drawn the wrath of art lovers.

Andy Carter, who runs the Street Art Sheffield website, said: "I'm really disappointed to discover Faunagraphic's mural of Harry Brearley has been vandalised.

"There sadly seem to have been several instances of vandalism of street art in Sheffield in the last couple of years, much of which seems to be targeted at Faunagraphic and Rocket01.

"Works like this tribute to Harry Brearley are commissioned works that have taken days to produce and are there for the benefit of the people of Sheffield.

"To have these destroyed not only harms the hard work of the artists but takes away from everyone who walks past these murals and enjoys this free public art."

The Brearley mural was created by Sarah Yates - better known as Faunagraphic - in 2013 to mark 100 years since he invented the world's first 'rustless' stainless steel in his Brown Firth laboratory. It was commissioned by Marketing Sheffield and the 100 Club.

The latest attack follows a wave of vandalism in late 2016, when works by Faunagraphic and her husband Chris Butcher, who goes by the name Rocket01.

In the space of a few day's, a new mural by Faunagraphic behind the Red Lion pub on Charles Street was defaced, along with three works by Rocket01: his portrait of David Attenborough on Charles Street, his mural of the late astronomer Patrick Moore on Froggatt Lane, and his depiction of a woman holding a badger on Abbeydale Road.

One of the works was emblazoned with the words 'Women's Liberation' and others had the female gender symbol scrawled across them.

Mr Carter said he had no idea who was behind the latest act of vandalism and he was not sure whether it had been reported to police.

The Star has contacted Faunagraphic but has yet to receive a response.