Artist plea to Folkestone phone box vandals

The phone box now contains warning messages to the would-be vandals

A Kent artist is using children's messages to try to stop vandals attacking one of his displays.

Shane Record was commissioned by Folkestone Town Council in 2009 to turn a red phone box on the seafront into an artwork.

But vandals have repeatedly broken into the kiosk and he now fears it will have to be removed if they continue.

In the hope of appealing to the vandals, he has placed messages written by children in its windows.

His original artwork featured a mannequin inside the kiosk looking at a piece painting with the words Ceci n'est pas une cabine téléphonique - this is not a phone box - on the window panes.

'Don't hurt me'

After the items were stolen time and time again he decided to try a different approach.

"I gave a presentation to two classes at St Eanswythe's School and St Peter's School and got the kids to write messages to would-be vandals.

"I got them scanned and printed in vinyl and stuck them in the window panes.

"Messages such as 'I have memories', 'Please don't hurt me' and 'Art is for everyone, not just for smashing' are in each window pane with the name and age of the child who did each one."

Mr Record added: "I think this is the best chance we have of saving it."