Media centre

Friday 20 Jan 2006

RAILWAY BRIDGE REPAINTING GIVES GRAFFITI THE BRUSH-OFF

Region & Route:

| Southern

The writing’s on the wall for vandals in the Hampton Wick area this week after staff from Network Rail and Richmond upon Thames Council braved the wind and rain to paint over graffiti on Hampton Wick Road bridge.   Network Rail’s lineside management team joined forces with the council’s Street Scene Enforcement officers to completely repaint the bridge – a known hotspot for vandalism – removing graffiti both on the trackside and on the front of the bridge.   Network Rail’s Route Director, David Pape, said: “Graffiti is an anti-social crime that affects the rail passengers and staff who travel and work on the railway every day. This latest work will bring a huge improvement to local residents and people using the station and sets a clear message that graffiti and vandalism will not be tolerated. I would like to thank Richmond upon Thames Council for helping us bring about these improvements to the railway.”   Cllr David Marlow, Richmond upon Thames Council’s Cabinet member for Environment, said: “This is all part of our ongoing drive under the Business Pride initiative to eradicate the blight of graffiti in this borough. This ugly scrawl spoils our streets and creates a threatening environment and we are determined to stamp it out and bring the culprits to justice.”   This latest work follows a blitz on graffiti carried out last year by Network Rail and the council where large areas of trackside graffiti stretching from Twickenham to Richmond stations were removed.     Network Rail and Richmond upon Thames Council are continuing to identify other areas of graffiti to be tackled throughout the borough. Both parties are also working with the British Transport Police to share intelligence about graffiti vandals in the area to help catch those responsible. Anyone with any information should call the British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or Richmond Upon Thames Council on 020 8891 6334.