I have been busy recently tackling graffiti at and around the shops on Forest Road, Stonebridge. Below is the content of my letters to Frome Times and the Somerset Standard to be published on 22 and 24 May 2012.  Some useful phone numbers and websites are listed below so that people can take action when any new graffiti appears.

Letter: 

“Dear Sirs, I and other local residents have noticed an upsurge in graffiti recently, on and around shops at Forest Road, Stonebridge, in the car park, on shop walls, on phone and utility boxes and the large electricity switching station.  Utility boxes are also a common target around Frome.  This is mostly scribbles or ‘tags’, and is unfortunately not artistic in any way, so it simply spoils the area.

Graffiti is actually a criminal offence and the Police do investigate it as criminal damage, with offenders given a criminal record, large fines and ordered to do community service as a result.  If people have property affected they should report it to the Police straight away. Our councils will only clear up graffiti on their own property, but when there is so much of it in an area it does need someone to contact all the property owners to get them to act quickly so that graffiti does not become the ‘norm’.  So I did. BT and SSE have both cleared it off their phone box and switching station within days of contacting them, which is good. The agents for the owners of the shop and car park have also agreed to clear it off the shops and sign, and I have put them in touch with local cleaning contractors. 

But I also think we need more effective coordination of this in Frome, so I have asked both Mendip District and Frome Town Council officers for their support and ideas.  In the meantime, if people can call the councils or their local councillor, or the property owner to get it removed.  I have some useful numbers to call on the website www.adamboyden.mycouncillor.org, or email me on cllr.boyden@mendip.gov.uk.  I would also encourage anyone tempted to mess around with graffiti to focus their creativity into art to benefit our town, at school or elsewhere, as there are so many opportunities to get creative in a positive way in Frome, which we are lucky to have.

 Adam Boyden, Liberal Democrat, Mendip District Councillor, Frome College ward”

Useful contacts to respond to graffiti:

– Frome Police station:  call 101, wesbite for Fromefield beat officers: http://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/LocalPages/BeatDetails.aspx?BeatID=101 
– Mendip District Council: Customer Services: 01749 648999; email customerservices@mendip.gov.uk
– Frome Town Council: 5 Palmer Street, Frome; 01373 465757; http://www.frome-tc.gov.uk/your-council-contact/  – see Graffiti webpage: http://www.mendip.gov.uk/CouncilService.asp?id=SX9452-A77F9659&cat=143
– BT Phone Boxes: report it to: 0800 661610
– BT Openreach green cabinets: report it to 0800 800 151
– Scottish and Southern Electric (SSE): website: http://www.sse.co.uk/contactus/ – Direct contact: Martina Hardwidge, Depot Clerk, 01225 701515, martina.hardwidge@sse.com
– Agents for Stonebridge shops and car park owners (Brookton): contact Goadsby’s head office in Bournemouth: 01202 550000 (Direct 01202 550214 – Neil Upward, neil.upward@goadsby.com)

   Leave a comment