Civil servants are paid to enforce rules, but they should exercise judgment and discretion when the occasion demands it. A case in point is the fate of a large, brightly coloured mural painted by local artist Ray Yip on a public slope in Shek O.

The mural depicted a sea view from above Shek O's main beach. It appears that many - although not all - of those living nearby liked it. Yip lives in the village, so his work could be construed as an attempt to beautify the neighbourhood. This is, after all, something the government has been encouraging people to do in their neighbourhoods. Unfortunately, the artist neglected to seek permission from the relevant department. The Highways Department, which has control over the slope, received a single complaint about Yip's work late last month; it quickly sent a contractor to whitewash the artwork, which it considered graffiti.

The department cannot be faulted for efficiency, but its judgment is open to question. It is true that Yip bears some responsibility. He painted public property without permission. He should have alerted the relevant authorities beforehand. But his work, now painted over with an ugly, light grey coating, appeared to have artistic merit and could be seen as an asset for the community. Given this, department officials should at least have made an attempt to collect feedback from residents, including Yip, before deciding what to do next.