Graffiti ruining Brighton Hippodrome development

Brighton’s Hippodrome, in Middle Street, is undergoing a huge transformation as developers painstakingly bring the venue back to life.

It is steeped in heritage, and previously hosting The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and Chuck Berry.

But the building’s new external paintwork is constantly hit by eyesore tagging – leaving developers fighting a “never-ending” scourge of illegal graffiti.

“We’ve got constant tagging to the front of the Hippodrome,” said a spokesman.

“It’s an iconic development and we are mired by this plague of tagging.

The building was recently repainted

“What’s galling is we just had it repainted and then the taggers came around and painted over it again.

“The street is dimly lit, and starting to hark back to the Quadrophenia days.”

The “constant” graffiti comes as Brighton and Hove City Council launches its action plan to take on the taggers.

Cityclean staff will remove graffiti from publicly owned street furniture, such as bins, benches and street signs, Environmental enforcement officers will then inspect the areas and issue warnings to the organisations who own street furniture, fining them if they fail to act.

Middle Street is included in the project.

Councillor Hannah Clare, deputy leader of the city council, said: “We know that many residents feel passionate about graffiti and tagging, and we are committed to trying new ways of taking action on clearing it up.

“We have been working alongside other partners, like the police, on a variety of measures to help combat the growing issue of graffiti vandalism.

“Our aim of targeting problems streets one-by-one is to create clean areas where residents, traders and visitors can see the difference.

New tagging on the building

“We hope this will encourage people to work together to keep areas free from graffiti area for longer.”

The plan will first tackle graffiti in Hove, before focusing on Preston Street, Ship Street, Middle Street and Upper Lewes Road by November.

The city council said it only removes graffiti if it is offensive or on its property, though will issue fines of £150 to anyone found committing a graffiti offence and seize equipment used.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: “We understand the impact graffiti has on residents, businesses and the Brighton and Hove community as a whole.

“Tackling the issue is a key focus for the division, with a dedicated graffiti lead within the division’s Neighbourhood Policing Team.

“Our officers maintain visible patrols across the city and particularly in areas highlighted as being of particular concern.

“These officers work with the community to gather intelligence that allows us to identify areas most affected by graffiti to ensure our resources are targeted as effectively as possible

“We also work closely with our partners in the community to share information and highlight repeat offenders who can be pursued and brought to justice.

“As a division, we will be supporting the council's upcoming, year-long programme of targeted action.

“Please report any crimes or concerns through the Sussex Police website, by calling 101 or dialling 999 if it is an emergency.”