ANTI-NUCLEAR campaigners who vandalised giant blank canvases put up for a street art competition in Williton enjoyed a shortlived protest.

The messages sprayed on the boards at Bellamy's Corner overnight on Wednesday were painted over by the following morning.

And organisers of the competition - part of the three-day Steam's Up event that gets underway at the end of September - gave a lighthearted response to the undercover action.

"We've disqualified them from the competition because of the lack of artistic merit," said David Chadwick, a Williton parish councillor who has been the driving force behind Steam's Up.

"In truth, we're surprised something like this hasn't happened before. If it happens again, we'll just paint over it again."

Five of the 15 boards put up for the competition were vandalised.

The graffiti focused on French energy company's EDF's plans to build a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point and included the messages 'No New Nukes' and 'EDF - Eagerly Destroying Fauna'.

Yesterday (Thursday), the Free Press was contacted by one of the protesters, a woman who refused to give her name.

She said a group of local concerned people - calling themselves Zorro after the mask-clad fictional character who defends people against tyrannical officials and villains - was responsible for the action.

"We are all from West Somerset and wanted to make people aware what EDF is doing - what they are planning will destroy the countryside," she said.

"We thought these boards were in a good place to get our message across because they are at a crossroads of a busy road."

But the protesters' consciences clearly got the better of them and they left a note pinned to one of the boards, offering to give the organisers a pot of paint to cover their messages just before the competition starts.

"We realise this is an art project and appreciate that the organisers might be upset about what we have done," said the woman.

"Offering the paint is just a gesture to show that we are sorry for any inconvenience we have caused and we hope they will keep our messages on the boards until the competition begins."

But Cllr Chadwick said: "This is about nuclear power, not street art, so unfortunately their entry is disqualified right now."

Photo: Steve Guscott