Xmas Tyne & Wear Metro Graffiti Attack

[Paul_10]

As some may be aware of, Gateshead, Central, Monument, Haymarket & Jesmond were all targeted on Xmas day in large graffiti, obviously taking advantage of the system being fully closed.

Would dread to think the cost this damage has caused but also the passenger perception of the system after seeing all these stations targeted and also bearing in mind there is loads of trackside graffiti to start off with(Chillingham Road to Manors is always a hot spot). I havant been on the system since these attacks took place but I will be travelling through these stations tomorrow and see how much graffiti is left as apparently there is still some around and what damage it has caused by washing it off(you know a station has been targeted as the panels are "smudged" and the station name vinyl has also been smudged). I know Monument Platform 3 is badly damaged and the panels at Manors has been repainted probably because the constant graffiti attacks the station get.

Must say, it seems like it has been a poor year for the metro with cable thefts, unrealiability problems becoming more common, graffiti attacks being quite frequent also. Makes you think does these vandals actually ever get caught?

 

[Mojo]

This is nothing new. Graffiti attacks are extremely common on the railway on Christmas day. Last year my company had a hotline for the BTP who had a 'hit squad' on standby all day and made a number of pre-emptive arrests before Christmas Eve.

 

[142094]

Unfortunately it is very easy to get onto the system from the surface stations, and unless you have someone sitting watching CCTV for each station, there isn't much you can do.

Manors area does seem to be a hotspot, and I've reported loads of graffiti attacks at Manors. Generally it is removed within 24 hours, or faster if it is offensive. It also depends on who is responsible for removing it (i.e. Nexus or DB). In many cases graffiti is pen/marker scrawls on the vitreous enamel panels which can be removed easily, but when you get targeted attacks like this it is much more apparent.

 

[Paul_10]

Well I went past all the stations today and the graffiti was not as bad as first feared as most of the Graffiti was just "tags" and only a minority of the tags were in blocked letters. Haymarket has fairly minor graffiti all along the platform edges whilst Central, Monument and Gateshead only had graffiti on the edge of the platform and not all along the platform unless its been washed off but If thats the case I don't understand why they left a bit?

Apart from Gateshead where both platforms were targeted, all the graffiti was on Platform 1 and the "graffiti art" on P2 at Gateshead looked decent if it was done in an authorised area!

So only Jesmond has graffiti washed off so far, could of been much worse really and I wonder if extra security measures has been put in place for when the system is closed all day on New Year's Day.