Graffiti makes railway station look like ‘The Bronx’

Parts of Bristol’s public transport are “unsafe” because of a lack of CCTV and lighting, while graffiti has made Montpelier railway station look like “The Bronx”, a campaigner warned.

Passenger champion David Redgewell told a council meeting that many bus and train stations and shelters felt intimidating, the public were treated as though “we don’t exist” and that the police were not patrolling the network enough.

Avon & Somerset Police says it works closely with Bristol City Council in tackling illegal graffiti and runs regular operations targeting taggers.

British Transport Police (BTP) says both uniform and plain clothes officers patrol the train network around the clock.

Bristol Public Transport Community Safety Partnership member Redgewell told councillors that the authorities did not fully understand or grapple with the issues facing public transport users.

Much of Montpelier station is covered in street art by Silent Hobo – photo: Martin Boooth

Redgewell said: “In combined authority areas like Manchester and Birmingham, much more effort is put into making sure the public transport network is safe.

“We have only just succeeded in getting cameras put up at local railway stations but only a few of them are on the control centre.

“We have graffiti and abuse in some of those stations and some of them are unsafe.

“Montpelier looks more like The Bronx than it does a Bristol station, but this is the public transport network our citizens have to travel on.

“We get graffiti on bus stops and shelters, and lighting does not work – that is not safe, graffiti makes passengers feel unsafe.”

Redgwell said he had not seen any prosecutions for illegal graffiti or tagging.

“It’s the thing Marvin Rees hates the most,” he said. “Graffiti and fly-posters are not taken down. We don’t get the level of policing we require.

“We have PCSOs but how often do they travel on the buses, how often are they seen in the bus station?

“If the city and public transport are to be safe, the police need to do more travelling and we need lighting at bus stops, shelters and stations.

“It’s as though we as the citizens who use the network don’t exist, and that is not acceptable.”

Tagging at the entrance to Lawrence Hill station, also on the Severn Beach Line – photo: Martin Booth

An Avon & Somerset Police spokesperson said: “We work closely with our partners at Bristol City Council to tackle illegal graffiti.

“Together, we run regular operations utilising a range of resources and tactics including officers in plain clothes and CCTV, to identify those responsible for tagging.

“We also issue public appeals for help to identify people we want to speak to in connection with illegal graffiti.

“One of these appeals recently led to four boys being issued with community resolutions after tags were sprayed on the walls of the Bearpit.

“People can report damage to property by graffiti to us via our website.”

A British Transport Police spokesperson added: “BTP officers patrol across the railway network in Bristol day and night in both uniform and plain clothes to deter crime and reassure the travelling public.

“We’d always encourage anyone with any concerns while travelling to text us discreetly on 61016.”

Network Rail and First Great Western, which are responsible for infrastructure at railway stations such as lighting, CCTV cameras and removing graffiti, have been asked for comment

Main photo: Martin Booth

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