Man urges police to catch graffiti vandal (From Echo)

Man urges police to catch graffiti vandal

6:20pm Tuesday 21st October 2008 in News

A SENIOR police officer has been accused of spending too much time catching speeding motorists rather than a prolific graffiti vandal.

Andy Shaw, acting police inspector for Billericay and Wickford, was questioned by Trevor Harris, a community representative, on tackling graffiti in Wickford. Mr Harris said the area was rife with one particular graffiti tag, a letter Z.

Speaking at the Wickford Community Panel, he said: “The police need to concentrate on the things in this community, graffiti, naughty children, groups congregating in the street. There is one particular Z tag that seems to be everywhere. Our police locally should not be spending their time on speeding motorists.

“They should be dealing with that lad scribbling Z everywhere.”

The daubing has been seen on a green electricity box in Hill Avenue, and on signs around the Wickford industrial estate off Southend Road.

In response Mr Shaw said the matter could be raised with neighbourhood officers who target priority crimes brought to their attention by the public.

Mr Shaw said: “If issues are brought to us then we will look into them.”