A graffiti artist could be playing a game of cat-and-mouse with the authorities after offensive artwork appeared on a bridge on the ouskirts of Dundee, just hours after previous scrawls had been painted over.
Dog walkers and joggers shocked to discover that their favourite coastal spot had been scarred by a slogan sprayed in green on the side of the footbridge leading to Balmossie rail halt.
Network Rail quickly sent a maintenance team to paint over the vandalism, but not long after their backs were turned graffiti reappeared. This time a slogan was in black paint.
Broughty Ferry Community Council chairman George Ferguson was aghast at the swift return of the graffiti and wondered if the same person or persons had been responsible for the two acts.
“This is diabolical,” he fumed. “Has someone done this, watched people paint it over and come out and done it all again?
“What goes on in the mind of someone who does something like that?
“I urge anyone who knows who did this to contact the authorities so that some action can be taken.
“I hope whoever’s done this can be caught and made to paint over the graffiti here and elsewhere until they get the message that there is no sense to scrawling graffiti.”
Mr Ferguson said with Network Rail and ScotRail having done so much to improve rail services in the area, it was unfortunate to see any negative factor spoiling their efforts.
There was also graffiti on the walls of the nearby sewage pumping station.
A Network Rail spokesman said: “Graffiti is a criminal offence and we spend around £250,000 each year in Scotland cleaning it from our infrastructure.
“We try to remove graffiti reported to us as soon as possible, but the time and money wasted dealing with this vandalism would be better spent on improving the railway.”
Broughty Ferry councillor Derek Scott said: “This sort of thing is totally unacceptable.
“It is very demoralising for the local community to see their area blighted in this way.
“Deterring graffiti is a priority in the Broughty Ferry police plan, and I will be contacting the police to find out what action they can take against this problem.”