We've put in years of hard work, so whoever vandalised our new Poulton restaurant should be ashamed
“Football banter is welcome. Vandalism isn’t. To the person responsible, you should be ashamed of yourself.”
The owner of Poulton’s recently refurbished Bistro Italia has branded vandals who defaced the restaurant’s mural with the words ‘**** Italy’ as “despicable”.
Pasquale Carpenito has told the Gazette of his fury after he discovered that thugs had defaced a mural celebrating Italy’s 2020 Euros win with the insult ‘**** Italy’.
The mural was newly created in the men's toilets as part of Bistro Italia’s major renovation project, which was finished just four weeks ago. Speaking to the Gazette about the shocking act of vandalism, outraged Pasquale described the behaviour as ‘despicable’.
“We commissioned this painting to support and promote a local artist and friend, Christian Fenn, who spent hours creating a beautiful, bespoke piece of art to celebrate Italy’s Euros win,” Pasquale explained. “To see his hard work deliberately damaged is upsetting and completely disrespectful.
“We’ve put years of hard work, pride and care into this restaurant. We welcome everyone through our doors, whatever your nationality or football team. All we ask in return is respect for our staff, our restaurant and the things we’ve worked hard for.”
Bistro Italia was first opened as ‘Papas’ in 1994, and has since become one of Poulton’s most iconic restaurants. In early September, Bistro Italia was officially reopened after major renovations to both inside and outside the venue.
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Pasquale, who runs the restaurant with his wife Sonya, has spoken before about wanting to invest into Poulton for the benefit of the town. When asked for the reasons for wanting to improve Poulton, he said back in September: “It has been about securing the future of a much-loved local business, restoring the building around it and ensuring that both remain part of Poulton’s town centre for years to come.”
Pasquale has decided against reporting the vandalism to the police as he doesn’t want to ‘waste their time’. Instead, he has issued a direct message to his customers.
“Football banter is welcome. Vandalism isn’t. To the person responsible, you should be ashamed of yourself. To our lovely customers who treat this place with respect, thank you as always.”