A MURAL dedicated to a fallen World War One soldier has been painted in an effort to prevent vandalism of a blue plaque honouring him.

The plaque, commemorating Ernest Frederick Beal who was killed on the Western Front in 1918, was installed in 2018 in Pevensey Road, Brighton.

However, nearby residents and businesses complained that the area around the plaque was being repeatedly vandalised with graffiti.

Artist Sandy Moon, who painted the mural, said it was a community effort to do something positive, rather than repeatedly painting over graffiti near the plaque.

She said: "The tagging was quite rude and disrespectful, so we planned to put something commemorative on the wall, specifically to reflect his life and make a respectful space."

The wall features 35 poppies, each representing a year of Ernest’s life; he was killed aged 35 in the village of St-Leger, near Arras in France.

The poppies are seen cascading onto the street, which symbolises the fallen of the war, with the bowed heads of the poppies representing prayer and respect for those who lost their lives in the conflict.

The mural also includes gold rims around the outside of each of the poppies to represent the Victoria Cross that Ernest was awarded posthumously. 

Sandy said that nearby businesses got behind the project, donating £100 towards its creation, giving the mural a special community feel.

The blue plaque and the new mural features on the wall of Mojo cafe on Lewes Road, with the co-owners supporting the project.

One of the co-owners, Annette Fowler, said: "When I found out about the plan, we knew we had to get involved."

Sandy added that Paul Clark of nearby Clark’s Meat and Poultry in Lewes Road also put money towards the project, which took three days to paint, for some anti-graffiti paint.

She said: "It is extremely important for community businesses to get behind local artists, and help tackle graffiti with nice artwork in its place from local street artists."

The mural comes ahead of the 103rd anniversary of the end of the First World War next month. The war claimed the lives of around 40 million soldiers and civilians, including roughly one million from the UK.

During the war, the Royal Pavilion was transformed into a military hospital for sick and wounded soldiers from the Indian army, treating over 2,300 men between December 1914 and January 1916.

Prior to the outbreak of war, Ernest lived in Lewes Road and worked in his father’s stationery shop in East Street.

He is also commemorated at the war memorial at Old Steine and has a Brighton and Hove Bus named after him.

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