Strood banner theft mystery

Residents of a local community in Strood have been left baffled following the theft of a banner that was used to advertise a jubilee street party.

The street party was held in West Mersea High Street over the recent bank holiday to celebrate the Queen’s diamond jubilee. The organiser of the street party, Eric Straughan, commented on the theft, saying:

“I doubt it was kids as it was held with ties and a rope. You would need a knife to cut it down.”

The whereabouts of the banner is still unknown. The theft of this piece of printed promotional material was a blow to the event as banners are a tried-and-tested way of raising awareness of events.

Banner printing in Strood has always been a popular way to promote events, especially ones that involve the community. Banners are a high impact way to communicate top-level detail such as event venues, dates and times to prospective attendees. Eye-catching large format printed banners are often used alongside other printed promotional material such as posters and flyers to drum up interest in events.

Despite the banner theft, the street party still took place and the High Street was closed from 1:00 pm until 7:00 pm to allow the area to be decked out with bunting and party tables. A live band played music for party-goers to enjoy and 1950s themed fancy dress was the order of the day to get people in the jubilee spirit. The event was possible thanks to the help of local volunteers.