Katy, 9, in graffiti protest (From Wiltshire Times)

Katy, 9, in graffiti protest

1:11pm Friday 18th April 2008

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A NINE-year-old girl has proved that it is never too early to start taking a stand for what you believe in.

When Katy Gibson saw obscene graffiti on play equipment at the Shalebrook Play Area off Bancroft in Bradford on Avon she decided to take matters into her own hands.

The little girl from Whitley, near Melksham, has written a heartfelt letter to West Wiltshire District Council asking for the graffiti to be cleaned up.

In the letter she said: "When I saw the rude words I thought that if little people (like me) see these words they will grow up thinking they can say them."

Katy discovered the disgusting writing when she went to the park with her mother Christine just over a week ago.

She said that younger children who were also on the play equipment were trying to say the words by sounding them out.

Her mum said: "She came over and took me to see the graffiti and said she didn't like the fact that children have to read these words when they're growing up.

"We got home and she asked whether we could go and clean them off but I told her it was very difficult.

"The next day I found a letter she had just penned all by herself during the evening.

"I thought it was really sweet that a nine-year-old should take an interest in what's going on around her.

"She is very sensitive and caring and the whole family and I are very proud of her."

Katy said she took care to write the letter out in rough first before writing the final letter in her best joined-up writing. She called the vandals who wrote the graffiti "not very nice people".

The district council is forwarding the letter on to Wiltshire County Council, which maintains the play area on behalf of the charity that owns it The Colonel William Llewellen Palmer Educational Charity.

A spokesman for the county council said they inspect the play area weekly and will be cleaning off the graffiti.

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