New Rapid Response Graffiti team deployed

Bournemouth town centre’s new rapid response anti-graffiti team has been deployed for the first time. It has been set up and funded by the Town Centre BID to help levy payers with a concerted clean up, the first in a series.

The team set to work at 6am on Monday morning at Avenue Road alongside the Central Gardens.

Team leader Craig Robinson of CC Infrastructure Services who carry out the work on behalf of the BID said: “Graffiti is a national problem and there is a lot of it around. I think the issue definitely worsened during the pandemic.”

The team paint on a chemical to dissolve the graffiti and clean it off with high pressure jets in just a few minutes.

A number of other sites were cleaned up in the two day operation including Dalkeith Steps at Richmond Gardens.

The team set to work just a few days after the Town Centre BID won a third five-year term following a vote of levy paying businesses. In the ballot announced on Thursday, the BID secured 76 percent of votes cast.

Chairman of the Town Centre BID, Martin Davies, said: “Although our new term doesn’t officially begin until July, we are not waiting to launch our new initiatives for our levy paying businesses. The anti-graffiti team will make a huge contribution to the appearance and environment of the town centre, something we know is very important to businesses and visitors from all the surveys we have undertaken. It is a top priority for us.”

Mr Davies added: “Rapid response means rapid response. We will be responding as things happen.”

The team does not cover public areas that remain the responsibility of BCP Council.