Media centre

Monday 10 Nov 2003

NETWORK RAIL AND RICHMOND COUNCIL TEAM UP TO TARGET GRAFFITI VANDALS

Region & Route:

| Southern

Network Rail and the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames have teamed up to fight back against vandals who graffiti the town.  As part of an on-going campaign, a week long clean up was organised by Network Rail and council staff to remove unsightly graffiti on the railway viaduct which runs through Old Deer Park. The viaduct, which spans 300 metres, had become blighted with unsightly scrawl that was removed by specialist workers using high-pressure water jets.  The clean up forms part of a successful partnership forged between Network Rail and the council, who remove ugly graffiti from railway structures and stations under a new agreement. Network Rail, in partnership with the British Transport Police, actively seek prosecutions against vandals who trespass and damage railway property.  Any acts of railway crime can be reported, confidentially to 0800 40 50 40, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Commenting on the partnership Councillor David Marlow, cabinet member for environment and planning on Richmond Council said, “Graffiti is an absolute blight in our streets, parklands and other parts of out beautiful borough. It has the effect of making an area feel seedy and unsafe and tends to encourage crime and antisocial behaviour to flourish. The council, as part of our commitment to reducing crime and the fear of crime is committed to eradicating it and clamping down on the people who do it.” Graffiti – 2 He added, “These people might think they are clever – some might even consider themselves artists. They are not, they are vandals and they are destroying the environment. We are delighted to be working with Network Rail to rub out this grubby work”. Robin Gisby, Regional Director, Network Rail said, “We recognise that the visual impact of our infrastructure is important for both passengers and our line side neighbours.   The improvements made at Old Deer Park have been significant, creating a more pleasant environment for the local community. We look forward to repeating this success at other sites around the network.”