The Transport for London (TfL) commissioner, Andy Lord, has ignited a fierce backlash after suggesting that anti-graffiti campaigners on the London Underground might be responsible for spray-painting graffiti on trains only to clean it off again on camera. This claim, which Mr Lord said was under investigation, has been labelled by critics as a damaging smear against volunteers actively working to combat vandalism on the Tube.

Earlier this summer, a volunteer group led by Joe Reeve, founder of the policy group Looking for Growth, gained significant public attention and praise for their efforts cleaning graffiti from the Bakerloo line. Their videos went viral after they began scrubbing paint-covered train carriages, drawing commendations from passengers and TfL train operators alike. The campaigners wore high-visibility jackets emblazoned with the slogan "Doing what Sadiq Khant," a clear criticism of Mayor Sadiq Khan's handling of the issue.

However, in a statement to the London Assembly, Mr Lord claimed he had “evidence of people creating graffiti and then removing it,” which was part of a broader TfL investigation. This allegation was met with immediate scepticism. A Freedom of Information request revealed that TfL holds no recorded evidence supporting this claim, deepening criticism of the commissioner’s comments. Keith Prince, the Conservative transport spokesman at City Hall, demanded Mr Lord either substantiate his claim or apologise to the volunteers. Former mayoral candidate and Tory assembly member Susan Hall called the commissioner’s statement “disgraceful,” insisting that if there is no evidence, Mr Lord should apologise for smearing a group dedicated to tackling Tube vandalism.

Mr Reeve, who regularly uses the Bakerloo line, shared his frustration with the perceived inaction from authorities. Speaking to The Standard, he described witnessing passengers bypassing barriers, followed by seeing graffiti-covered carriages daily, which compelled him to act. “I love London, and I think it should be the best city in the world,” he said. Despite frustration with the current mayor, he and his team have received strong support from train drivers and the wider community for their voluntary clean-up efforts.

TfL has confirmed that graffiti removal remains a significant ongoing challenge, particularly on the Bakerloo and Central lines, where around 3,000 instances of graffiti are removed weekly. Mr Lord has previously highlighted the scale of the problem, stating cleaners remove an act of graffiti approximately every 11 minutes across the Tube fleet. Official figures show that over 23,000 pieces of graffiti have been removed from the network in just the past two months, with offensive graffiti prioritised for immediate removal due to its impact on passenger experience.

The controversy has also attracted wider media attention. GB News host Tom Harwood, who has taken part in Tube graffiti clean-ups himself, expressed surprise and dismay at Mr Lord's implication that those fighting vandalism could be responsible for it. Similarly, specialist rail transport outlets and political commentators have criticised the commissioner’s remarks as unfounded and damaging to volunteer efforts.

A TfL spokesperson clarified that Mr Lord’s comments referred to verbal information he received and ongoing internal work related to TfL’s graffiti reduction strategy. This strategy encompasses prevention and tackling graffiti vandalism across London’s transport network, but no public evidence has been forthcoming to support suspicion of campaigners’ involvement in creating graffiti.

This incident shines a spotlight on the tension between public frustration over rising graffiti vandalism and official responses, which many feels fall short of addressing the root causes or supporting grassroots efforts. As the debate continues, campaigners like Joe Reeve remain focused on their mission to clean and improve the Tube environment, calling for greater institutional backing rather than accusations.

📌 Reference Map:

Source: Noah Wire Services