Following our investigation into the poor state of public toilets in York, MIKE LAYCOCK looks at the problem of graffiti in the city...

GRAFFITI artists are spoiling York's image for tourists, sometimes before they have even reached the city centre.

A new bus shelter in Hull Road, a key approach to the city for visitors coming by car and bus, has already been plastered in "tagging" graffiti in vivid colours. Other bus shelters on the same route, and also other main roads into the city such as Fulford Road, have also been hit, apparently by the same "artist." And one or two buses have even become a target as well.

When tourists reach the city centre, the problems are not over. Certain locations have been badly hit by elaborate and indecipherable tagging graffiti, in particular Church Lane, off Coney Street, and Peter Lane, which links Market Street to High Ousegate and which is plastered with aerosol messages.

Several doorways along Riverside Walk, next to the York Moat House hotel, were also covered in graffiti.

York tourist bosses said they were extremely concerned about the impression given to visitors on the approaches into York but acknowledged it was a very difficult problem to overcome. "Many of our visitors who arrive by car or coach will get their first impressions of York en route to the city centre," said Craig Wilson, marketing manager for York Tourism Bureau.

"It's vitally important that these first impressions are good ones, otherwise they may not want to come back. We're working closely with the city council and the Safer York Partnership to stop vandalism of this kind."

First commercial manager Peter Edwards said that while bus shelters were not its responsibility, graffiti and vandalism in them was a matter of concern because they affected the passengers' total journey experience. He said some buses had actually been targeted with the vivid tagging graffiti recently.

City of York Council said it took action to remove graffiti on bus shelters for which it was responsible, where it was offensive or unsightly.

Terry Walker, public transport planner, said it would inspect the two in Hull Road spotted by the Evening Press and take action to remove the graffiti if it was felt to be unsightly or offensive.

Updated: 10:20 Saturday, March 08, 2003