Colchester buildings sprayed by graffiti gang in city centre

Several properties have been left with graffiti damage after being tagged by the unknown perpetrators.

Castle ward councillor Steph Nissen said those responsible are “spoiling” the city centre and called on their spree to stop.

Essex Police has received several reports of incidents on multiple days last week.

Targeted - a shopfront in Culver Street West was sprayed by graffiti

One unconfirmed shop in Culver Street West was left tarnished by the word “Lane” being sprayed across its front window.

On the same day “Qball” was tagged on the rear of a public building in Trinity Square, before it was again left on a postbox in Pelham’s Lane.

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The postbox sustained damage in the incident, a report stated.

Another incident saw three walls in St John’s Street marked with the word “Arcy”, again with damage caused.

Incident - St John's Street (Image: Newsquest)

Disappointed - Castle ward councillor Steph Nissen (Image: Newsquest)

Ms Nissen said: “It is mindless crime that is done with no real intention other than causing a bit of chaos.

“It is vexatious, this behaviour is considered to be victimless but actually time, energy and money is required to clean it up.

“It is disrespectful to business owners, particularly when they are independent having to pay out of their own pocket in order to get rid of it.”

Elsewhere in Colchester, footpaths and cut-throughs blighted by anti-social behaviour have been transformed after street artists were allowed to make their mark.

Team effort - Adrian Leroy and Simon Collins, who have given up their time and money to paint the follies of New Town (Image: Newsquest)

Kendell Folley and Camp Folley North, in New Town, have been reclaimed and turned into a positive space which allows street art.

Ms Nissen said she hopes more areas in the city can be offered to those wanting to express themselves legitimately through graffiti.

“I have seen how popular the graffiti work in the folleys has been and there has been minimal defacing of it,” she added.

“If we had somewhere like that closer to the city centre where people with this skills could go we could turn a negative into a positive.

“We are really proud of our city centre but right now a small group of people are spoiling it.”

Insp Stuart Austin, of the Colchester Community Policing Team, said: "We’re aware of a number of reports of criminal damage in Colchester city centre and our town centre team is working closely with businesses affected and Colchester City Council.

"We know the impact incidents of graffiti can have, both on businesses affected but also on the look and feel of our city centre.

"Where we can, and we have evidence to support, appropriate action will be taken against offenders, whether that is through the criminal justice system, through other preventative measures or through the youth offending team.

"I would always encourage anyone who has information on criminal damage incidents, or indeed any incident, within the city centre to please report it to us."

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