'Racist' grafitti removed from Newbury train station bollard

Council act after complaints

RACIST grafitti at the approach to Newbury rail station has finally been removed.

A former chairman of the West Berkshire and Hackney Taxi Association, Newbury taxi driver Andrew Lutter, said he complained to West Berkshire Council about the slogans etched into bollards around six weeks ago.

Mr Lutter, of AAA Taxis, said he only contacted the Newbury Weekly News following weeks of apparent inaction over the offensive words, and added: “All it would take is a few moment’s effort. It’s extremely offensive and my colleagues who wait to collect fares from the station have to see it every day.”

Within 48 hours of an enquiry by this newspaper, the grafitti had been removed.

A spokesman for West Berkshire Council, Martin Dunscombe, said: “We’re grateful to this resident for bringing this graffiti to our attention. It was reported to us last month and we requested a contractor repair the damage the following week and contacted the resident to update them.

“We have today contacted the contractor again and asked for them to treat this as an urgent matter. The community have an important part to play in helping us keep our neighbourhoods smart and we value their support in this. Graffiti can be reported to us by phone or email and we will look into it.”