ONE of Scotland's most historic buildings may have been permanently damaged by graffiti – by a well-meaning member of the public.
Arbroath Abbey, where the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320, was defaced over the festive period by a vandal who daubed the word "Kay" in 5ft-high silver letters on the ancient Regality Tower, where the abbey's prison was once housed.
A
retired native of the Angus town, home from abroad for the festive season, decided to erase the graffiti, borrowed a bucket of water and detergent from a nearby shop and washed off the offending lettering.
The Good Samaritan told the local newspaper: "When I looked closely at the writing, it didn't seem like paint to me. So I licked my finger and applied it to a bit of the lettering – which promptly vanished."
But it now appears that his do-it-yourself deed may have done more harm than good, as a "ghost image" of the lettering has reappeared on the porous red sandstone wall of the abbey.
A spokesman for Historic Scotland, the agency responsible for the ancient abbey, said: "The sprays and paints used by vandals sometimes contain substances that need to be removed very carefully to avoid damaging the stonework.
"In this case, a member of the public took it upon himself to wash the lettering away. He decided the letters were easily removable and got a bucket of water and detergent and washed it off.
"The letters have subsequently reappeared with a bit of a vengeance," the spokesman went on. "We can't say whether he actually made matters worse, but it didn't solve the problem."
The full article contains 280 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
