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The Great British Political Prank
• Sep 2, 2025

The Great British Political Prank

Poole, England seldom makes the news. It’s one of those unremarkable mid-sized cities along Britain’s southern coastline, like Eastbourne or Bognor Regis, with a population of around 151,000 people and a lot of seafood restaurants. But last year, everyone in Poole woke up to find their hometown transformed. In the dead of night on August 10, 2024, someone defaced dozens of signs around the city, erasing the last two letters in the word “Poole” so they instead read “Poo.” Highway signs greeted visitors to the “Historic Borough of Poo.” A large mural of a sailboat said “Welcome to Poo Harbour.” Other signs marked the locations of the “Poo Rail Station,” the “Poo Museum,” the “Sainsbury’s Poo” grocery store, and even the “St. James’ Poo” church. Even tiny “Borough of Poole” engravings on fence posts didn’t escape being revised with a black marker. The culprits were thorough, hard-working, and utterly committed to their juvenile toilet joke. 

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