Hockley's rainbow road appeared to be covered in tyre marks just two days after it was repainted. The crossings on Carlton Street and Broad Street, which permanently opened in 2019, were installed to celebrate the area's proud history of supporting LGBTQ+ rights through the years.

Hockley has been the home of Nottinghamshire Pride - the East Midlands’ biggest free Pride event - for more than 10 years. In the 90s, it was also home to Mushroom Bookshop, the only shop in the city to openly sell gay magazines, as well as the Health Shop on Broad Street, a centre which offered sexual health advice to gay men.

In the run-up to the pride festivities, due to take place on Saturday, July 27, the rainbow road received a makeover. The colours had previously become faded and marked, leading It's in Nottingham - the city's BID (business improvement district) - to commission the repainting of the road.

Officially unveiled in recent days, the refreshed path saw the addition of five new colours. Black and brown were included to be more representative of people in the community as well as light blue, light pink, and white to represent the Transgender community.

But it seems the roads have been covered in tyre marks once again. The specific details of this - including why and precisely when the marks appeared - are not yet known but the marks could be seen on Wednesday, July 24.

The Pastel Project, an activist group that says it aims to 'make Nottingham a city of sanctuary for transgender people for the UK', appeared at the unveiling of the new rainbow roads.

Director Sam Harvey, who co-founded the group in August 2023, said: "If the people who did this do have any negative intentions, on Saturday there will be so many people marching down the parade for pride, they won't even be able to see the road. For me, that sends a stronger message.

"It's going to take a lot to shift those pride colours, and over the next few years. I'm sure we’ll be seeing a lot more permanent rainbow flags up. If this was done deliberately, it just speaks to the insecurity and pettiness of some people.

"It highlights why we still need pride. It is unlikely that you would see those people defacing the St George's flag on the council house building during the Euros.

"But that's why we still need the roads. As a community, we're not treated with that same respect, but we won't remain silent."

The Nottinghamshire Pride march will begin at 11am at the junction of Lister Gate and Castle Gate on Saturday, July 27. Nottinghamshire City Council have said they are aware of the issue and will be speaking to Its In Nottingham to see what can be done in terms of cleaning the paint.