The Infrastructure Department is asking a Jersey artist to 'reach out' to them for potential work, despite painting over their mural on public toilets in St Brelade's Bay.
The 'brightening' painted flowers gained support online when they appeared on the Cotil du Grouin toilet block, but dismay followed when islanders noticed they had been hastily covered with white paint.
The murals reached head height at the entrances to the men's and women's public toilets.
The flowers on the gents were blue, and on the ladies, yellow.
Maureen Cross posted this image of the mural in the 'Good or Bad Jersey Business' Facebook group
Infrastructure and Environment has told Channel 03 that the work was painted over because it had been applied to a public building without 'prior permission or authorisation.'
It says that 'regardless of content or intent' any of what it calls 'unauthorised graffiti' must be removed.
Reactions online called the cover-up job 'a shame to the creative world', saying that whoever decided it should be painted over must live 'an extremely grey and boring life'.
Another commentator said: 'How very sad, these looked awesome, well done the artist', while a third wrote this message to the authorities: 'Our public toilets are utterly disgusting, and you are taking away something that actually makes it look good. You don’t maintain them yourself, yet destroy someone else’s efforts to keep them in a good state.'
Another contributor said: 'Funny how the government finds time for the unimportant jobs,' and another added, 'What a waste of time and money, they were so good, brightened up the toilets.'
Infrastructure says it supports public art and community-led initiatives when they are 'progressed through the correct approvals process'.
It is asking the artist to reach out to them for potential work.
Related: Students transform Corbiere's public toilets with a tale-telling mural
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