Graffiti man struck across Lewisham, Croydon, Charing Cross, Lambeth, Southwark, Surrey and Wandsworth (From News Shopper)

Graffiti man struck across Lewisham, Croydon, Charing Cross, Lambeth, Southwark, Surrey and Wandsworth

12:16pm Tuesday 16th October 2012 in News By Mark Chandler

A PROLIFIC graffiti vandal who struck across Lewisham, Croydon, Charing Cross, Lambeth, Southwark, Surrey and Wandsworth causing £54,000 worth of damage has been jailed for 16 months.

Eugene Ironside, aged 23, from Norbury, struck three times in Lewisham borough over a five-year period, damaging Southeastern trains in Grove Park and property at Brockley rail station.

After his arrest last October, one of Ironside's socks was found to contain a digital camera memory card with 45 images of graffiti-damaged trains, along with several videos.

The vandal, who pleaded guilty to 13 charges of damaging property, was jailed for a total of 16 months at Blackfriars Crown Court on October 11.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Colin Saysell from British Transport Police said: "The financial costs of cleaning up graffiti have to be borne by someone, and that someone is ultimately the fare-paying passenger.

"Trains are taken out of service for cleaning, sometimes for days at a time, causing disruption and delays for passengers.

"Graffiti also involves serious risks to those who go onto the tracks, who often don't know when a train will come or if the tracks are live."