Heritage campaigner, councillors and local businesses have been united in condemning a rise in graffiti vandalism in Edinburgh that is now targeting key tourists sites.
Victoria Street, believed to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter series, and St Giles’ Cathedral are among those that have been attacked.
At least nine shops in the cobbled Victoria Street, one of the most photographed in Scotland, were spray-painted with graffiti last weekend, while other buildings on George IV Bridge and Royal Mile were also hit, including the French Consulate.
The winding cobbled street is lined with the colourful storefronts of many independent shops and is said to be one of the most photographed in Scotland. A new toilet block in the Meadows has been daubed with graffiti even before it is completed.
Andrew McRae, owner of the Harry Potter merchandise shop in Victoria street, arrived to open his shop on Saturday morning to see the damage.
“This incident only goes to highlight serious ongoing anti-social behaviour that is impacting business and local residents across the whole city centre,” said Mr Mcrae, who is a past policy officer at the Federation of Small Businesses Scotland.
“Businesses will act fast to clean up and repair the mess but what a waste of time and hard earned money. The City of Edinburgh Council, businesses, residents and all stakeholders need to work together on a new strategy that prevents this ‘broken window’ type scenario from continuing to deteriorate.”
The council’s transport and environment convener, Stephen Jenkinson, said: “First and foremost, defacing any building with graffiti is a criminal offence and I’d encourage anyone with any information on the culprits to contact the police.
“This type of mindless behaviour damages the local environment for everyone, whether they be residents or visitors, and wastes time and money on removing it.
“We’ve invested in a dedicated graffiti team who will be happy to offer advice to private owners on how best to deal with it and, if requested, to remove it — on a cost recovery basis.”
Louis Scott of neighbouring Howies restaurant, said: “As one of the businesses affected, it was incredibly disheartening to arrive and see the damage. Thankfully, we were able to have the graffiti removed by 11am – just in time for opening.
“Throughout the morning, several people asked me, “Does this happen often?” I replied, “Thankfully not, but incidents like this do seem to be increasing.”
“It’s clear that tackling antisocial behaviour needs to be a priority for our city. I’d really welcome the chance to connect with others who are equally committed to fostering a safer, more respectful environment for everyone.”
Lesley Martin, chair of the heritage group, the Cockburn Association, said: “Vandalism and graffiti in Edinburgh were major topics at The Cockburn ‘s co-hosted streetscape event last year; this example is particularly distressing as it does violence to exactly the kind of high quality, independent shops, the frontages which are a delight for residents and visitors alike.”
Graffiti is now spreading across Edinburgh, with gable ends, bus shelters, alleyways, phone booths and utility boxes among the targets. Many of the city’s key arterial routes are being hit, presenting a negative perception to visitors.
BT Scotland recently cleaned up offensive graffiti sprayed on a phone booth in Lothian Road opposite the Filmhouse. Offenders are clambering up scaffolding to spray the rooftops of buildings, leaving their handiwork at a number of sites around the city.
Edinburgh World Heritage issued a statement saying Victoria Street and the 900-year-oild St Giles’ Cathedral are “beautiful, historically important features of Edinburgh’s city centre and it is saddening and frustrating to see them defaced by vandalism.
“Graffiti can cause lasting damage to buildings and monuments and ultimately undermines the well-preserved historic environment that draws residents and visitors to Edinburgh.
“This graffiti also places an unnecessary financial strain on Edinburgh’s businesses in a challenging economic environment.”
EWH has donated over £500,000 to shopfront renovation projects, ranging from restoring the Milkman Cafe’s ghost signs to uncovering Poundsavers’ intricate Georgian details.
“It is therefore especially disappointing to see such a blatant act of vandalism, while we work to help businesses protect and improve the unique value of historic shopfronts.”
Police Scotland said it was investigating the vandalism in Victoria Street.
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