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Junk is one of the tags being daubed around Wokingham
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Police crackdown on graffiti surge

By Laura Herbert
May 17, 2012

Police are hunting a number of people believed to be behind a spate of graffiti daubed around town.

Officers are investigating after ‘Junk’, ‘Junkie’ and ‘Roke’ tags appeared on walls and fences in the Woosehill and Emmbrook neighbourhoods in the last few weeks.

Sergeant Tim Woolford told The Wokingham Times: “We are currently working on it and have gathered some intelligence.

“Over the years I can remember occasionally we’ve had issues, but it just seems to flare up every so often.

“I think the majority of people who are doing it are local.”

He added: “It seems to be isolated to the Woosehill and Emmbrook areas.

“We have got no idea why it has flared up at the moment, but it is definitely more than one person behind it.”

The words ‘Roke’ and ‘Junk’ were sprayed on walls and fences in Old Woosehill Lane, Oxford Road, Humber Close, Commons Road and Holt Lane over the weekend of Saturday, April 28, and Sunday, April 29.

One man living in Old Woosehill Lane, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “It’s not exactly nice to look out on to.

“I guess it’s just kids being silly and stupid. I think maybe they should grow up.”

A man from nearby Humber Close, who did not wish to reveal his name, added: “If it is artful, it’s fine but if you are just spraying a tag it is just pure vandalism.

“It has only been in the last 10 days to two weeks that I have noticed it.

“It brings the whole place down."

Click on the pins to see the tags in each road.

View Wokingham graffiti hot spots in a larger map

“We will have people visiting the area during the summer for the Olympics and it doesn’t look good.”

There had been a number of similar incidents in the previous week in Oxford Road, Brookside, Martins Drive and Mill Close where the word ‘Junkie’ was sprayed in blue on fences and walls.

A Martins Drive resident, whose garden fence was sprayed with graffiti, said: “We are always getting things thrown over the fence.

“We have had bottles and once we had wooden stump thrown over which smashed the conservatory roof, but you can’t do anything about it.

“We haven’t had graffiti before but we had a letter from the council saying they will come and clean it off.”

Sgt Woolford advised homeowners: “If people find they have graffiti like this it is best to let the police know so we can come round and photograph it then they can get it cleaned off as soon as possible through the council.

“It is best to clean it off pretty quickly as it gives a platform for others.”

Residents can contact Wokingham Borough Council’s graffiti removal service on (0118) 974 6302.

Anyone with information can call police on 101.

A 17-year-old boy and a 21-year-old man from Wokingham have been arrested in relation to the incidents. They have been bailed until May 29.

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