Students paint over Prague's Lennon wall

A wall in the Czech Republic capital that has become a mecca for fans of John Lennon has been painted over.

Fans painted and drew images of the late Beatles star and scribbled the lyrics to his songs on the wall in Prague following his death in 1980 - and it quickly became one of the places for Fab Four die-hards to visit to pay tribute to Lennon.

It also became a symbol of freedom for the nation's youth, who were opposed to communist rule.

One local says, "Young people would meet there and light candles and lay flowers. It became so much more than just a tribute place for tourists."

Overnight on Monday (17Nov14), all the messages and artwork were whitewashed by a group of pranksters, who left the simple message "Wall is Over", an apparent play on Lennon's festive peace anthem Happy Xmas (War Is Over).

Students calling themselves Prague Service have claimed responsibility for the paint job, revealing they covered the wall up to mark the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution that ended communist rule in Czechoslovakia.

The wall's owner has threatened legal action.

It's not the first time the wall has been covered over - another art group painted the wall green in 2000.