Police are investigating after vandals sprayed graffiti in a station that has been out of service for nearly eight months.
Transport for London (TfL) says it alerted the British Transport Police on the morning of February 16 when the southbound platform at Kentish Town station was seen plastered with tags.
Only permitted workers should be able to access the Northern Line station as it has been closed for essential repairs since June 26, 2023.
TfL did not respond to the Ham&High’s question when asked how the vandals were able to access the restricted station, and whether they were caught on CCTV.
Graffiti in Kentish Town station. Reopening's already been delayed until September, don't imagine this will help speed things along. Never understood why people seem to enjoy screwing over their own communities. pic.twitter.com/rDMumPbUdB
— The Kentish Town Cyclist (@KentishCyclist) February 18, 2024
Instead, a spokesperson responded: “This incident at Kentish Town station is being investigated by the police.”
Videos shared online show that much of the platform walls, including the Kentish Town signage, has been sprayed with graffiti tags.
The British Transport Police says that enquiries into the vandalism are ongoing, with no arrests at this time.
The station has been closed for the replacement of both of its “unreliable” 26-year-old escalators.
It was originally anticipated that this would be complete in the early summer.
But while Transport for London (TfL) says that the new escalators are still set to be complete by then, it says other work was found to be necessary, which has delayed reopening until September.
There seems to be a problem at Kentish Town tube station... #TfL #LondonUnderground #LondonTransport #LifesABlur #ClosedStation #WhoDunnit pic.twitter.com/XpOgDV1S57
— London Rail (@london_rail) February 18, 2024
TfL previously said it would use the station closure to make other improvements including removing the "redundant" ticket office and realigning the ticket barriers to provide more space for customers and additional gates.
Even before the graffiti, the station is meant to be painted and deep cleaned, with new floor and wall tiling and improved signage.
Anyone with information about the vandalism should contact the British Transport Police by texting 61016, quoting reference 134 of 16/02/2024.
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