Vandals continuing to target railway station (From News Shopper)

Vandals continuing to target railway station

3:14pm Tuesday 17th February 2004

• Print
• Email
• Share

A FACELIFT to Maze Hill station has failed to curb vandals.

The Greenwich Society set up the Maze Hill Station Working Party seven months ago to resolve problems at the station, in Tom Smith Close, Greenwich, which was regularly targeted by glass-smashing and graffiti-scrawling gangs.

South Eastern Trains kept its commitment to re-glaze the station building and replace broken glass earlier this month.

But vandals continue to target the station with graffiti.

Society member Allan Hamerschlag said: "The waiting room has been redesigned to make it more vandal-proof. It has even been spruced up with plants.

"We have nothing but praise for South Eastern Trains. But the effect of the new work is being ruined. Graffiti is still absolutely rampant. The station is getting the same graffiti tags as all over east Greenwich. As soon is graffiti is cleaned up, it comes back again.

"This sort of vandalism does lead to other kinds of vandalism.

"Youths even get on the track to scrawl graffiti on the embankment. There could be a fatal accident."

The society says footage from CCTV cameras is not being analysed properly and wants the train company to link up with the town centre's CCTV control room or create its own to catch vandals.

South Eastern Trains says the area manager and Maze Hill station manager are meeting representatives from the Greenwich Society to search for a long-term solution to the problem.

A spokesman said: "We know vandalism and graffiti at Maze Hill make it look unsightly, uncared for and unwelcoming.

"It is very disheartening for our staff as they spend a great deal of time trying to improve the station environment."

• Print
• Email
• Share