AN ICONIC mural of a Cherries legend has been daubed over after a landlord decided it was 'looking tatty'.
First team coach, and former skipper, Tommy Elphick was 'immortalised' in a piece of artwork on the side of a building on Lansdowne.
Painted in 2016 by graffiti artist Rick Walker, it 'celebrated the town’s creative and sporting communities.
Towering almost 50ft high, it also featured Robert Louis Stevenson’s characters Jekyll and Hyde
However, in recent days the colourful display has disappeared with the building getting a new lick of paint.
Jan Keen, who is said to own the building, said she decided to remove the painting after it began to peel away with age.
“What people don’t realise is that it was looking tatty.
“It was a part of Bournemouth for a while, but a lot of things are, and they get redeveloped, and this is just one of those things,” she said.
Originally the mural was only planned to be there for five years, but due to Covid it stayed for longer.
READ MORE: The giant street mural designed to get you supporting Bournemouth's creatives.
Jan said that since the Livingstone Academy was built nearby, she felt the old mural ‘was bringing the area down'.
The giant artwork, which was 15m (49ft) high and 13m (43ft) wide, has taken a week to completely remove.
It was the third in a series of giant murals commissioned by consumer education initiative, Get it Right from a Genuine Site.
The aim of initiative was to increase awareness and respect for the UK’s creative industries, including music, TV and sport.
It is understood there are currently no plans to replace it
But residents who noticed its absence said ‘it was a shame’ it had been removed.
Shawana Turnbull, 21, said: “It’s quite sad, I liked it.
“It brought something to the area and it’s a shame that it’s gone.”
Ryan Edmondson, 29, and Paul Bird, 29, live close to the mural and described it as a 'welcome edition’ when it was first painted.
“It’s odd that it’s gone but hopefully they’ll put something else there instead,” said Ryan.
The Daily Echo has tried to contact Rick Walker for comment.
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