A MYSTERY pedant has hit back at a vandal tainting beauty spots with graffiti by correcting and questioning his nonsensical messages.

Tags painted with the word “Arcy” have sprung up on signposts across Dedham and East Bergholt designed to help walkers navigate their way around the idyllic Constable Country.

But recently, more in-depth messages have been left on the rear of the car park at Manningtree railway station.

Growing frustrated with the inappropriately-expressed thoughts, one unidentified resident has begun pinning typed up replies next to the graffiti, correcting grammatical mistakes and asking for clarification on what they mean.

In one, above a tag which reads ‘Vegans R Dum Humans R Mamles’ the anonymous stickler for spelling wrote: “What are you saying here?

“What are mamles?

“And I wonder if you understand the irony of writing, vegans are ‘dum’?

“I guess I can assume that, given your spelling of the word dumb, you are actually saying that humans are ‘mammals.’

“This is true.

“Humans are mammals.”

Other ripostes include questioning the Arcy tagger’s knowledge of ska music and white supremacists after he daubed “Skin Head Pride” on the car park wall.

They also query whether a post which reads “Kick in the door wavin’ the 94” is a reference to a misheard lyric by rapper Notorious B.I.G.

Harwich and Manningtree Standard:

Charles Clover, chairman of the Dedham Vale Society, said he found the replies amusing and said the vandals should stop daubing the graffiti immediately as it was ruining the look of the area.

He said: “The key issue here seems to be that Arcy is not Banksy.

“If he is not saying anything profound, interesting or even properly spelled, then we wish he wouldn’t.

“That’s what the witty pedant seems to be saying, in the best possible way.

“There is a huge issue here about the cost of vandalism - these signs are for the benefit of the public, they are beautifully designed and cost money and lots of effort in the planning.

“They don’t deserve to be ‘Arcy-d’ up.”

Mr Clover has been a harsh critic of the design of the station car park, even likening it to the Berlin Wall and said it was a magnet for graffiti.

He added: “You note that the witty pedant’s offerings are detachable.

“Arcy’s are permanent.”

n Are you the mystery pedant sick and tired of the graffiti? Email chad.nugent@newsquest.co.uk.