Spalding footbridge hit hard by vandalism

Stepping Stones Bridge graffiti 1

Stepping Stones Bridge in Spalding has been hit by vandals scrawling slogans on its walls in white paint.

A lot was spilled on the anti-slip surface of the footbridge, which is close to Spalding railway station.
It was reported to police on Saturday morning. Witnesses are asked to call 101.

South Holland district council ward member Roger Gambba-Jones condemned the attack but was adamant that the cost of the clean-up would not be met by district residents.

Stepping Stones Bridge graffiti 2He said: “It’s a problem for Network Rail.
“It will require specialist cleaning and it should not fall upon the taxpayer of South Holland to pay for it.
“We will keep up pressure on Network Rail to sort it out.”

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “We have been to the site.
“We will speak to British Transport Police and the local authority about a way forward.”

2 comments

  1. just disgusting. It’s a horrible bridge to walk across at the best of times, makes me feel very intimidated. This foreign graffiti will not help. If Network Rail do not clean this up, it will show just what they think of the residents of Spalding – especially now when they are going to expect us to put up with more and more trains halting the traffic flow. Rather than having meeting and consultations about this graffiti, just clean it up.

    • Roger Gambba-Jones

      There won’t be any meetings, or consultations, it’s Network Rails bridge and it’s their responsibility to clean it of this graffiti. From Oct, I believe councils will be able to use the new anti-social behaviour laws, to serve notices on an organisations like Network Rail, requiring them to fix such issues within a set timescale. The bridge is their property and the council cannot do any work on it. Apart from the cost to the taxpayers of South Holland, if the council damaged a structure, or building whilst trying to clean it up, the taxpayers would have to pick up the bill for the repairs.

      You’re right, it is an awful bridge and totally inadequate for connecting our side of Spalding with the town centre. We told Network Rail that it would a major error to put a solid sided walkway in place, as it would give the graffiti yobs a blank canvas. We also told them that it needed ramps, so that the disabled could use it safely. Sadly, they had a secondhand bridge from Aylesbury to get shot of. Despite refusing them planning permission to install it, the planning inspector approved the application and this is the result. I said it then and I’ll say it now, shame on you Network Rail.

      As an aside, despite promising to resolve one of our other concerns, Network Rail have still failed to install protective mesh, to stop objects being thrown from the bridge into a nearby garden of a house with young children

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