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NatWest has apologised after painting a giant mural of Marcus Rashford on side of a home without asking for the owner’s permission.
The bank commissioned an artist to paint a mural of the footballer on the wall of a house in Brighton as an advert for its financial skills for young people scheme.
The mural depicts Mr Rashford as both a child and an adult, but also contains a large painting of NatWest’s logo, which has been adorned on a wall connected to the house. A slogan reads: “Believe it, become it”.
But the logo, along with a QR code and information sign, has been installed next to the front door of a property belonging to landlord and former antiques dealer Peter Brynin, who says that NatWest did not seek his permission to paint his wall.
Mr Brynin told local press, while he had no objection to graffiti and murals, he did not want the wall to be used as advertising space.
The error occurred because NatWest did not realise that part of the building was owned by Mr Brynin
NatWest said the space used had been purchased from a third party “in good faith” for its financial skills campaign and that it was not aware that the wall did not entirely belong to one owner.
The property in question is on Trafalgar Lane in Brighton, which is famous as a hotspot for graffiti by local artists. The side of the house now covered by NatWest’s mural was formerly decorated with a painting of a dragon.
Mr Brynin said: “Obviously I was taken quite aback.
“It is an art wall. It’s known for that… I have no objection to Rashford, I have no objection to the art, but I do object to an advert where I haven’t been contacted at all.”
He added: “I am fine with graffiti and murals, but what I don’t want to see it being used for is an advertising space.
“I can’t go up to their bank in Westminster and paint a logo of my business on the side,” adding it would be viewed as “criminal damage”.
Mr Rashford came to prominence during the pandemic for his campaign to secure holiday food vouchers for children on free school meals throughout national lockdowns.
A black-and-white street mural of Mr Rashford, painted in Manchester in 2020 by artist Akse P19, was met with acclaim when it was completed and went viral online.
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