On the day the UK officially left the European Union (Friday January 31st), the name of Harbury village’s twinned town was pained over in white paint.
On both Hillside and Bush Heath road the name Samois-sur-Seine was found to have been completely covered by the paint. Angry villagers removed the paint from the signs the next morning.
Speaking to Birmingham Live, Tim Lockley, parish council chairman says he believes there was a “clear Brexit-related intent” to the vandalism: “I can’t see any other conclusion other than it was Brexit-related, otherwise the word Harbury would have been damaged as well, but it was only the bit related to twinning.”
Despite the nation having been divided in their own opinions on whether the UK should leave the EU or not, Lockley describes how the village did not condone this act.
There was anger because it makes Harbury look like a village where these kind of views are popular or common, which is not true at all”
He says: “Even people who are in support of Brexit did not think this was an appropriate thing to do. There was anger because it makes Harbury look like a village where these kind of views are popular or common, which is not true at all. People have been universally critical of what happened – Harbury has a great relationship with Samois-sur-Seine, which has gone on for more than 20 years.
“But while the act did not reflect well on Harbury, the response to it did. We are not a small-minded and bigoted community at all we have a strong community spirit and 40 or 50 people each year take part in the twinning trips.
As of Friday January 31st, the UK officially let the EU with a transition period now in place until January 1st, 2021.
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