Graffiti upsets

10:07am Monday 5th November 2001

BECKENHAM residents are “desperate” for help from councillors and tram-chiefs after vandalism at a Beckenham tram stop has “made their lives hell”.

Since the Avenue Road stop opened almost two years ago, graffiti and vandalism have been rife. Representatives from Railtrack, Bromley Council and Tramlink agreed in June to improve fencing and remove graffiti regularly. But residents claim Tramlink has not stuck to the agreement and are calling on the council to take legal action by serving an untidy site notice.

Chairman of West Beckenham Residents' Association Ian Muir said: “It used to be green round here, now it's graffiti and vandalism. The council and Railtrack have both done some work but Tramlink hasn't finished the cleaning. We invited the council leader here to see the problems and asked him to serve an untidy site notice. He refused.”

Council leader Councillor Michael Tickner says he visited the site with council officers and found no grounds for an untidy site notice.

Tramlink said contractors had not been fulfilling their agreement but this had since been resolved.