Iconic Sandhurst bridge graffiti repainted in unusual move

• ITV News Meridian's Kara Digby reports from Sandhurst

In what is a rather unusual move, Network Rail has repainted the graffiti on a bridge in Sandhurst, Berkshire.

Affectionately known as the 'Happy Christmas Bridge', the graffiti has become a local landmark.

But the words have been fading, so it has been given a festive facelift.

It was originally painted in the 1960s by a group of college students on their way back from a Christmas party.

Harriet Fraser's uncles were two of those students.

She said: "They're a lot older, a bit more sedated in what they do now but they're really happy, the whole family is. For us it's a bit of a family history, for the Mallory family to say, 'right it's back up there' we're happy."

After years of weathering, there were calls on social media in February for it to be repainted.

Authorities usually work to remove graffiti from the streets, but much to the delight of many locals, Sandhurst Town Council instead joined their calls to get this particular festive phrase restored.

"It's just such a landmark. You got Camberley, they've got their White Elephant and we've got our Happy Christmas bridge," said Cllr Nicky Coppins.

"I agree that graffiti isn't something we normally want to promote but locally this has been such an iconic scene that it was great to get it restored."

A Network Rail spokesperson said: "We're safety critical and we need to spend out money on running trains and making them safe rather than doing artwork, but because this was a safety scheme anyway, because we worked on the bridge warning signs, it was possible to do that."

The town council is now working with Network Rail to see if the other side of the bridge, painted with the same phrase back in the 80s, can get the same makeover.

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