The Snog mural Fagans: Shock as famous Pete McKee mural rendered over on Sheffield pub wall

Sheffield commuters were horrified this morning - as an iconic Sheffield landmark appeared to have been defaced.

Some contacted The Star to express their concern after seeing the famous Pete McKee work, The Snog, apparently covered over in grey on the side of Fagan’s pub, on Broad Lane.

But today, representatives of the famous Sheffield artist said the mural would be back - and was only temporarily partially covered up because of work that is having to be done to the building.

A spokesman for artist Pete said the side of the building was having to be re-rendered, as part of a programme of necessary improvements on the landmark pub.

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He said: “The building is quite old, and there is some rendering that has to be done. It needed some work doing, and as a result, part of the mural is going to be covered with new rendering.

“When that is done, Pete will redo the mural, when the weather is suitable to allow for it to be done. It will look a bit patchy in the meantime.

“It’s a local landmark.”

One shocked reader who had seen the mural on her way to work this morning contacted The Star to describe the famous painting as ‘decimated’.

The Snog is so famous locally that Pete recently created an interactive exhibition around it, telling the backstory of the couple who are depicted in the famous painting.

'Frank & Joy - A Love Story' ran at Trafalgar Warehouse, and used art to tell the back story of the couple in the painting.

The Snog is one of a number of well known murals across Sheffield.

There was controversy back in 2021 when builders piled up container buildings in front of one of Pete’s murals on Carver Street, covering the painting up. That mural, called ‘Muriel’, is now visible again.

People also raised concerns in 2021 when a picture of Frank the whippet tucking into a packet of Hobnobs on the side of Kelham Arcade on Burton Road, Neepsend, was obscured by a lean-to next to the building.