Engineer mural removed during graffiti clean-up

In Reading, a mural honoring Ada Lovelace, a pioneering engineer and mathematician, was accidentally painted over by council workers during a graffiti clean-up. The mural was located on a grey utility box on Northumberland Avenue in Whitley and featured a cartoon image of Ada Lovelace, who is considered the world's first computer programmer. She worked with Charles Babbage on the Analytical Engine in the 19th century. The artwork showed Lovelace with brown hair, a yellow headband, and was surrounded by mathematical equations. The mural was meant to celebrate her achievements and inspire people in the community.

The council's graffiti team had been busy cleaning and repainting road signs and other public assets that had recently been spray painted with St George's crosses. A masked individual had been seen painting these crosses on signs and road markings throughout Whitley the previous week. The council prioritized removing graffiti from places where it posed a safety risk to the public. Unfortunately, while repainting the affected areas, the workers also covered the Ada Lovelace mural with grey paint, erasing the tribute to the engineering pioneer.

A spokesperson for Reading Borough Council explained that the team was focused on cleaning up graffiti and making sure road safety assets were in good condition. They said, 'Unfortunately in this instance, it appears a piece of street art was painted over in the process of that work being carried out. ' The removal of the mural has disappointed some local residents who appreciated the artwork and its message. Ada Lovelace's legacy as a trailblazer in computer science is important to many, and the loss of the mural is a reminder of how public art can sometimes be unintentionally destroyed during maintenance work. The BBC Berkshire team encourages people to share stories about local events and issues, and you can follow them online for more updates about what is happening in the area.