Council orders Russo to remove all his popular street art

Charnwood Borough Council have ordered Russo to remove every piece of street art after an e-petition launched to safeguard his works failed to sway local government bigwigs.

Nearly 1,000 people signed an e-petition in August to save Loughborough’s Lego Men after the council told Raffaele Russo, owner of Peter Pizzeria and Loc8Me, to remove them.

The art in question includes the Lego Men which appear of Leopold Street in the Golden Triangle, some works from the underground train above his letting agency Loc8Me in Ashby Square since 2013 and the Edward Scissorhands near Carillon Court Car Park.

Lego Men by local artist Buber Nebz in Leopold Street.

Russo told the Loughborough Echo: “We were doing something that would inspire people – to give them something to look at when they are walking around the town. The underground piece attracted photographers.

“This is the social element of the modern age.

“To relate this art work to graffiti is just disheartening and medieval – to link someone’s art to destroying the area.

“We are trying to bring more people to the town.”

However, the council feels very differently about the work,classifying the Lego Men mural as advertising and another piece on Cumberland Road as criminal graffiti.

Russo added: “Why don’t they ask the public what they want?

“If it is advertising I am quite happy to go for planning permission but I have been told I won’t get it – I feel frustrated.

“I ask the locals: is it better or worse than what was up before it?”

Russo says he is debating his next move.

Leader of Charnwood Borough Council, David Slater, also spoke to the Loughborough Echo and said: “I think the guy’s creativeness is wonderful and is trying to bring some joy to people but having said that we are a country of law and there is a law about bill postering and advertising.

“So unfortunately, I do mean that, he will have to abide by the same rules as everyone else does.

“There is no way of letting someone with that artistic flair off.

He is doing a tremendous artistic job that does not resolve him from the legislation around planning.”