A TALENTED street artist who creates fitting work paying tribute to Reading tragedies has spoken to The Chronicle about his love for the town.
The 40-year-old, who goes by 'Danny Street', was responsible for the heartfelt tribute drawn in the centre of town after the death of PC Andrew Harper and, more recently, a touching drawing honouring the three men killed in the Forbury Gardens attack.
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Danny said: "I was homeless and street art was my way of doing something which was stopping me from getting involved in anything I shouldn't, and also I hope to bring some comfort to the people of the town.
"I am now in temporary accommodation and I hope things continue to look up for me.
"My message is that I want to show the families of these victims that there are people out there who care and have compassion - it doesn't matter about creed or colour or sexuality - everyone deserves to be remembered."
Danny has only been living in Reading for about a year, but says he "loves" the town.
"I absolutely love Reading - it's the kind of place where strangers say hello and talk to you.
"The town has given me a lot of inspiration.
"I'm proud that some people in town are starting to know me because of this; sometimes people stop and say 'hi, you're Danny aren't you?' and it's great.
"I have an Instagram account for my work - Dan_artish, but I can't upload anything at the moment as my tablet got broken, but once I have a new one I'll keep uploading there."
Speaking about his love of art, he said: "I've always enjoyed it - I got an A* in my art GCSE way back in school.
"I'm most comfortable and most myself when I have a pen in my hand."
Danny hopes his artwork can bring some comfort and peace during times of grief for Reading.
"I want to show, especially to the victims' families, in any way I can that there are good people out there thinking about them," he said.
"I'm glad to be in town like this and I'm glad that 99 per cent of peoples' reactions to the tributes are really nice and positive.
"I'd like to say to the families and friends of the victims that I'm sorry for them and hope they know that more people do have some compassion."
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