Features

Tackle the Tags

WVD-JUN-2025-v2

The rising blight of graffiti tags in Wanstead can be seen on our streets, subways and shopfronts, but with your help, we can report it, remove it and restore pride in our neighbourhood, says Katriye Ibrahim

Have you noticed the surge in graffiti across Wanstead? It’s hard to miss. From the sides of shops and bridges to subways and signposts, the spray paint is spreading fast – along the High Street, to the station and into Christchurch Green and beyond.

As a local resident who cares deeply about this area, I find it genuinely disheartening. This isn’t just about untidy walls; graffiti chips away at our sense of pride and safety. It sends the message that no one’s looking after our community. And when one piece of graffiti stays up, more often follow. It’s called the ‘broken windows’ effect – visible neglect that invites more antisocial behaviour. What message are we sending to our children when they see vandalism all around them? That this is just normal? That this is okay?

Many of us in Wanstead (and South Woodford, which has similar issues) are worried – and rightly so. This isn’t an occasional act of mischief anymore. It’s a growing problem that’s changing the look and feel of where we live.

In Redbridge, the Environmental Enforcement Team works to remove graffiti within three working days, prioritising anything offensive within 24 hours. That’s good news – but only if the graffiti gets reported. They’ve also trialled rapid-response cleaning and increased CCTV in hotspots. Offenders face fines of up to £5,000 and even prison time under the Criminal Damage Act 1971.

But here’s the rub: graffiti often reappears faster than it’s cleaned, and the burden falls on us – residents – to report it. And it’s not always clear who to report it to. Is it council-owned? TfL? BT? It’s frustrating, I know. Still, if we want change, we can’t walk past this anymore. We need to act, together and consistently.

Here’s what you can do: download the Love Clean Streets app from Redbridge Council’s website (for free). It takes seconds to upload a photo, add a location and report any graffiti you see. Whether it’s on a shopfront or a wall, report it. Every time. Your report will be automatically sent to the relevant team at the council to deal with. However, not everything can be dealt with on the app. The council do not deal with the green or black telephone cabinets, for example; that’s Virgin or Openreach. Anything on TfL property will need to be directed to them and telephone kiosks can be BT or private companies.

If we all take that extra minute to report what we see, we can turn this around. It’s what being a community is all about. Wanstead deserves better. Let’s fight back with action, not apathy.


To report graffiti to the right place, call:

Openreach: 0800 023 2023
Redbridge Council: 020 8554 5000
TfL: 0343 222 1234
Virgin Media: 0330 333 0444

To download the Love Clean Streets app, visit wnstd.com/cleanstreets

Editor
Author: Editor