A five-year-old girl was left "heartbroken" after her mum was forced to remove a rainbow tribute she had made to NHS workers by her landlord.
Sam Gray, 43, drew the rainbow using chalk onto the brick wall of her property in Pearl Court with her daughter Sophie earlier this month.
The rainbow has become a symbol of gratitude to NHS staff and other frontline workers who are helping keep the country safe during the coronavirus outbreak.
But Sam, from Holbeach, Lincolnshire, was left shocked after receiving a phone call from her estate agent telling her that her landlord wanted her to remove it.
They said the landlord had received a complaint from someone about the drawing which faces onto the street and as a result it needed to go.
She said: "I'd only just woken up when the estate agent rang up.
"She was really understanding. She said we understand why you've done it but we've got to act because the landlord has been in touch with us.
"It must be another neighbour who knows the landlord, because I don't even know who the landlord is and this is a quiet cul-de-sac.
"You've got to be really sad to complain about a chalk drawing."
Sam removed the drawing last week much to the anguish of five-year-old Sophie.
"She was upset," she said.
"We made it on April 4, so it's not been there a huge length of time. It was in quite a shaded area, so unless it rained really heavily it wasn't going to come.
"We live in a two bedroom flat, we don't have a garden of our own, just the little bit outside on the ground floor.
"I drew the outline and Sophie helped me colour it in. I wanted it to be big and bright enough so people could see.
"It was just something to cheer up Sophie and cheer up the neighbours. I couldn't understand why anyone would complain."
"One of my neighbours said she couldn't believe it either. Everyone else I've spoken to can't believe it either."
Sam received another phone call from the estate agents later in the day telling her landlord had decided the rainbow could stay on.
It was too late though, as she had already removed it.
Sam's post caused outrage on social media.
Karen Scotney blasted the landlord as "miserable." She said: It's only chalk. It will wash off when the time came. As well as teaching her daughter to show appreciation and be kind and thoughtful to others."
Jason Smith said: "Bless the little girls heart. Amazing picture."
Suey Hughes added: "Some people just dont understand what children are going through at this horrible time . I would get back out there and do a bigger one".
Fortunately though for Sam one of her neighbours has come to her and Sophie's rescue and will let her draw on her wall.
Sam added: "I just want to reiterate and say that it wasn’t the estate agents that had a problem with it. They were very supportive but had to follow up the complaint.
"Also following a second phone call from them, they have asked me to say that the landlord doesn’t have a problem with us showing support for the NHS but because it was drawn on the brickwork they were worried that it might damage it or not come off easily.
"They also said that if it was still there I could keep it on as long as I agree to remove it at a later date. Unfortunately I have already cleaned it off."
