GWENT Police have issued a plea to people in Newport to not remove any posters they see in the city – after sharp objects were found behind some.

The warning comes as a 53-year-old woman was arrested on Sunday, January 23 after being caught spraying stickers to two lampposts by patrolling police officers.

Superintendent Vicki Townsend said that the force had been receiving complaints about offensive posters since October and that on a search of the woman’s home, more stickers and posters were found.

The nature of the posters has not been disclosed.

The woman was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and displaying threatening or abusive writing likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

Superintendent Townsend said: “We’ve received several reports in relation to posters containing offensive material appearing in Newport between October and January.”

She continued: “We published a post on one of our Twitter accounts on Friday 21 January, asking the public to not remove posters, including those containing offensive material, in the city after sharp objects had been found behind them.

“This public safety message was intended to make the public aware of the dangers of potentially removing a poster, after glass and pins had been stuck behind the posters.

“We would reiterate that if anyone finds such a poster that they leave it to the relevant authority to remove it safely rather than risk injury.”

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Superintendent Townsend said that the woman was released on conditional bail while enquiries continued and was released at 3.23am on Monday, January 24.

She also said that a mobile phone and stickers were seized while the woman was in custody and that stickers and posters were among items seized from her house after her arrest.

Superintendent Townsend said that the woman was assessed by a healthcare professional who asked officers to collect her medication and it was brought to her at 10.23pm.

She continued: “The woman was released from custody in accordance with police guidelines and there was no legal reason to keep her in the custody unit after her interview.

“The custody sergeant spoke to the woman who did raise that her mobile phone had been taken and she was informed it had been seized as part of the investigation.

“Upon release, the woman was offered transport for both herself and her mobility scooter but declined and chose to make her own way home.”