Following up Martel’s idea

A COMMUNITY group has launched a bid to have Lochee shops take part in a Christmas decoration contest.

Love Lochee members are urging small, local businesses to dress up their windows to add to the festive lights switch-on in the area.

Spokeswoman Heather Henry said: “We were talking about it at our latest meeting and then saw Tele columnist Martel Maxwell had written about how there should be a contest for shops and businesses.

“So we have sent letters out to local shops inviting them to take part and it would be great if we could get Martel to judge those who take part seeing as she is local to Dundee.

“We know not every shop can take part at the Lochee light up, but we are hoping as many possible will join in.”

Martel wrote this week: “I reckon we should run an annual competition for the best Christmas showing at a Dundee home, as well as shops and restaurants.”

VANDALS have struck at a Dundee graffiti wall and set fire to community funded boards.

Three sections of the wall at the DPM Park in the Hilltown have been pulled down and set ablaze.

The remains of the boards have been left lying in the park.

The wall is regularly used for graffiti artists as part of Dundee’s annual Graffiti Jam.

It can also be used by any budding local artists to leave their own mark.

Adam Milroy, the man behind Graffiti Jam, said: “I can’t believe this has happened.

“We were granted public money to spend on the boards in the park to give people a chance to express themselves and this is what happens. It’s unbelievable.”

Adam, 34, a tattoo artist from the West End, said he didn’t know exactly when the damage was done but believes it must have been relatively recently.

He said: “When we put the boards up I spoke with local residents and said to get in touch if there was any issue and I would pull some down and relocate them.

“I can’t imagine it would be anyone locally who would have done this.

“I worked closely with Coldside Community Forum to organise funding and support for the boards and this year’s Graffiti Jam event.”

Adam said the events he puts together have become increasingly popular and help to brighten up areas in Dundee.

This year’s was held on August 17 and 18 when more than 80 artists descended on the city to take part.

However, the walls and boards are there all year round for anyone who wishes to create artwork.

Coldside councillor George McIrvine said: “It’s disgraceful that anyone would go to such lengths to vandalise the community ‘Paint Jam’ artwork.

“This was organised by the local Coldside partnership initiative as recently as August this year.

“The local community are rightly angry at this crime being committed and I would urge local residents to report anything suspicious in the area at the time to the Police”

The park is on the site of the old Dundee Pasteurised Milk Factory, which was demolished to create space for a football pitch.

There is a large wall surrounding two sides of the pitch which is allowed to be spray-painted after the council granted it permission to be used for graffiti art in 2006.

Graffiti artists can use the 110metre long wall year-round but each year the Graffiti Jam asks participants to create a new piece in just two days.