Death sparks surge in train graffiti

London commuter-train companies are reporting a dramatic increase in graffiti linked to the death of a known graffiti vandal killed by a train.

Connex and South West Trains have been worst affected but Thames Trains also reports an increase. On some days, say the operators, 100 carriages are vandalised with paint covering the entire length of the cars.

Police link the sudden dramatic increase in damage to the death of James Dutka on 18 May. He was struck by the 13.47 Maidstone East to Victoria train. Investigators believe that Mr Dutka was sitting over the edge of the platform at Catford Station when the tragedy occurred.

He was known to use the tag of "Moody". Since his death others have used the tag "Moody RIP" throughout the South and South-East as a memorial, with details being posted on a website.

Inspector Colum Price of the British Transport Police (BTP), said: "There appears to be an increase since that death as some form of memorial to his passing."

The problem has been exacerbated because the vandals are now mixing their own paint, which is much harder than commercially purchased products and very difficult to remove. The gangs cut or climb their way into train depots at night.

Tom Fuller, Connex depot manager at Grove Park, said extra staff have been drafted in and depot security is being increased along with better fencing. Mr Fuller said some of the graffiti gangs "come well-prepared with up to 70 pots of paint, and covering an entire side of a carriage takes just minutes".

Connex calculates it costs £500,000 a year to remove graffiti from its fleet with the problem most common in the south-east London area. A company spokeswoman said: "Few people realise what an organised activity graffiti has become. There is even a website offering points for 'tagging' particular types of trains."

She said defacing one of the new £1-million-a-carriage 375 trains would be worth more in points than defacing old slam-door stock, and the aim of the vandals was to have their work seen by as many people as possible: "But 80 per cent is removed before the trains go out."

In addition to the cost of cleaning, graffiti also means carriages out of action and a shortage of stock, resulting in trains being even more crowded, she added. "We prefer to remove the graffiti at the earliest opportunity. It is not ideal but that is sometimes why passengers have to travel in trains covered in graffiti."

The train companies are also faced with an increase in "Dutch" graffiti in which train windows are etched. This vandalism began in Holland and has spread to the UK. This cannot be removed and the only solution is to replace the window - and that can cost up to £1,000 a time.

Mr Price said all the train operating companies had been invited to meet with police next week to decide how to combat the problem. A BTP spokesman said: "The problem is turning into an epidemic, but we will do everything in our power to stamp it out."