Hawking graffiti on UK bridge may become permanent tribute

A colourful graffiti of world famous physicist Stephen Hawking that sprang up on a railway bridge in Cambridge days after his death last month is likely to become a permanent tribute to the scientist in his home city.

The 76-year-old theoretical physicist and author of A Brief History of Time' passed away on March 14 and the graffiti appeared on March 25.

Network Rail, the company which owns the bridge, has said that it would consider requests not to remove the graffiti.

The company, which spends 3.5 million pounds each year removing unwanted graffiti, said it does not condone or encourage the use of railway infrastructure as a canvas for street artists.

"But we would consider requests not to remove artwork that did not impact on the safety of the railway and was not offensive," a spokesperson said.

Gonville and Caius College at the University of Cambridge, where Hawking was a Fellow, described it as a "touching tribute" to the scientist.

The senior bursar of the college, David Secher, who knew Hawking for 45 years, said: "He loved Cambridge and Cambridge loved him. The art is a symbol of how he touched lives in the city and instilled a sense of pride in its residents."