Graffiti vandals strike again
By Lyndsay Scanlan

The old Little Chef has been targeted
A DAY after a clean-up operation was launched in Old Town more graffiti has been spotted elsewhere.

Vandals have struck at the former Turnpike Service Station site which has only been vacant for a month.

Graffiti has been sprayed across the Little Chef and Burger King buildings and Coun Doreen Dart (Con, Blunsdon) says it's disgusting.

The BP garage, which closed at the end of October, has already been knocked down but the Little Chef and Burger King restaurants, which were closed under a compulsory purchase order by the Highways Agency in November, are still standing.

They had to close to make way for the new Blunsdon bypass, which is scheduled to be completed by 2008, because the service station will be in the middle of the southbound carriageway of the new road.

Coun Dart, pictured, whose ward includes the former service station, is disgusted by the vandalism.

"I deplore graffiti," she said. "It looks awful for people passing by. If it is done professionally, like the wall by the Outlet Village then it can look very good and clever but this sort of graffiti, which is just vandalism, is just disgusting.

"It looks really awful and actually I feel sorry for the people who do it because they must not have anything better to do with their time.

"The Turnpike is a way out of town so it does make you wonder who would actually go out of their way to do this."

But she doesn't think the graffiti will distract drivers on the A419.

"This is a very busy stretch of road and it is also a dangerous part of the road so I would hope that drivers are concentrating on the road," she said.

"Luckily the buildings are set back from the road. If they weren't I think some drivers might stop and look at the graffiti."

She added: "The council is doing a lot to clear away graffiti from the town but of course it's at the taxpayers' expense.

"But if people do see graffiti they should contact the council."

As reported yesterday, the streets of Old Town have been given a facelift by the council's anti-graffiti team.

Scrawls of paint that defaced homes and businesses were blasted off or painted over this week after the Adver highlighted the problem in the area.

In just one day we had photographed more than 50 examples of graffiti in Victoria Road and the surrounding streets.

To report graffiti to the council call 01793 463463. If you know who is responsible for it call Swindon police on 0945 408 7000.