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Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber's 'really silly' graffiti: hotel ordered to paint over it
Mayor sends pop star a clean-up kit to erase cartoon faces in fluorescent paint drawn on a wall at Surfers Paradise hotel

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Australian Associated Press
theguardian.com, Wednesday 27 November 2013 22.21 GMT

Justin Bieber performing in Brisbane. Justin Bieber performing in Brisbane. Photograph: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images
The offending graffiti on Justin Bieber's Instagram account. The offending graffiti on Justin Bieber's Instagram account. Photograph: Supplied

The Gold Coast City Council will order a hotel to paint over a prized piece of graffiti by Justin Bieber.

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.

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.

"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.

But it won't be for long.

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.

"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.

"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.

The hotel says it has been inundated with media calls.

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 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.

"Do your business in Sydney and come on back and I'll give you a chance to clean it up."