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Justin Bieber asked to clean up 'really silly' hotel graffiti by Gold Coast mayor Justin Bieber's 'really silly' graffiti: hotel ordered to paint over it
(about 3 hours later)
The mayor of the Gold Coast has sent pop star Justin Bieber a graffiti clean-up kit so he can fix the mess he and his mates left at a local hotel. The Gold Coast City Council will order a hotel to paint over a prized piece of graffiti by Justin Bieber.
Mayor Tom Tate says the pop star and his entourage did something "really, really silly" when they drew cartoon faces in fluorescent paint on a wall at a Surfers Paradise hotel. News of the order came minutes after the QT Hotel gushed about the pop star's decision to deface one of its walls when he stayed there earlier this week.
Bieber's handiwork includes a Pacman ghost, which was painted in the early hours of Wednesday morning after the star's first Brisbane show. The hotel said it was a coup to have the star paint "a piece of art in appreciation of his stay" but wouldn't say if Bieber was asked to do it.
A photo of the group's artistic offerings was even posted on Instagram and cans of spray paint were left behind for staff at the QT Hotel to clean up, the Courier-Mail reports. "This piece of art is now available to be viewed by fans of the artist and we believe that it is a wonderful addition to the colourful Gold Coast arts scene," the hotel said.
Tate told the paper he was having a graffiti removal kit couriered to the hotel for Bieber to collect and use. But it won't be for long.
"We've all been young once," he said. "By the sounds of it, he's gone and done something really, really silly. Mayor Tom Tait says the council will be ordering the hotel to get rid of the fluorescent cartoon characters the singer and his entourage painted on an external wall.
"But he's got an opportunity to make good. I'm sending, straight away, one of council's free graffiti kits ... and I urge him to treat this city the way Gold Coast fans treat him." "It might be on private land but it's in prominent public view," a council spokesman told AAP.
"The mayor will be contacting our compliance officers today to have a notice issued to the hotel to clean it up."
Earlier, the mayor said the singer should return from Sydney to clean up his mess.
He even suggested Bieber should perform free at an upcoming Christmas carols event to show the community he's truly sorry.
Tait said the singer risked undermining the good work of the council to combat the scourge of graffiti.
"The last thing we want is to have graffiti glorified and more young people thinking its a cool thing to do," he told AAP.
The mayor promised Bieber's best assets would be well protected if he did come back and use one of the council's clean-up kits to get rid of his mess.
"I know he's got beautiful eyes. I've got some goggles for him, and some gloves because I know he doesn't want to get his hands dirty," he said.
"Just come and clean it up and we'll be happy with you. Alternatively come and sing at our mayoral Christmas carols on the 7th of December for an hour and I'll let you go."
Even the Queensland attorney-general has weighed in.Even the Queensland attorney-general has weighed in.
"Justin Bieber is a role model to many young people so, if the claims are correct, it is disappointing that he did this without permission," Jarrod Bleijie told the paper."Justin Bieber is a role model to many young people so, if the claims are correct, it is disappointing that he did this without permission," Jarrod Bleijie told the paper.
He said it was up to the hotel to lodge an official complaint.He said it was up to the hotel to lodge an official complaint.
The hotel says it has been inundated with media calls.The hotel says it has been inundated with media calls.
Tate said the star's behaviour set a pretty poor example.Tate said the star's behaviour set a pretty poor example.
"He's admitted to it. He's gone onto his Twitter site and uploaded the shots," he said. "It's disrespectful to be doing graffiti, but to boast about it on social media is just taking it to another level.""He's admitted to it. He's gone onto his Twitter site and uploaded the shots," he said. "It's disrespectful to be doing graffiti, but to boast about it on social media is just taking it to another level."
He said Bieber's best assets would be well protected if he did return and used one of the council's clean-up kits to fix his mess.He said Bieber's best assets would be well protected if he did return and used one of the council's clean-up kits to fix his mess.
"I know he's got beautiful eyes. I've got some goggles for him, and some gloves because I know he doesn't want to get his hands dirty," he said."I know he's got beautiful eyes. I've got some goggles for him, and some gloves because I know he doesn't want to get his hands dirty," he said.
"Do your business in Sydney and come on back and I'll give you a chance to clean it up.""Do your business in Sydney and come on back and I'll give you a chance to clean it up."
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