I smell a rat.

I also know the sort of people in the UK (OP) who are small minded and gullible enough to believe everything they read on the media. This was probably an isolated single solitary case and the spin doctors jumped on it.

I'm more worried about some random acid attack than getting injured ripping down any poster. OP thinks we spend all our time going round ripping down posters. Do I look like I'm a government lackey like you?