Over the course of Thursday 14th May, crews dealt with this graffiti at approximately 18 locations, in addition to dealing with other graffiti work. Unfortunately, we were not able to mobilise overtime resources at short notice and because removing graffiti is a specialist activity.

We are starting this morning with a list of 20 sites, some of which involve multiple items. We will have 2 Jet wash crews working in the Walthamstow area. We expect to receive and pass additional sitings to the crews over the course of the day.

This evening we expect to have at least 2 crews working overtime, in combination, catching up with normal day to day graffiti and with any racist graffiti which comes in today that is not dealt with in normal time. We also expect to field at least one crew over the weekend.

Through Gareth Jones and Sian Hasler, there have been discussions both with TJAG and the Police. We have asked that this be a particular area for attention across all shifts.

We do not know when this graffiti is being applied or whether one or more people are involved. However, if those involved are to be caught it may be that we can draw them back into re-graffiting the same sites, particularly if we can try and contain the activity to the Walthamstow area.

In order for us to respond as quickly and efficiently as possible, we need assistance from those reporting and those handling reports. We need precise locations. If we also know in advance what surface the graffiti  is on, we can determine whether it requires a specialist jet wash crew to respond or whether we can deploy other resources to paint over. We also need the reports to get to us as quickly and directly as possible.

Members of the public should raise these items as service requests. Councillors are also recommended to raise as service requests, because our method of operation has been set up, and recently refined, to deal with service requests as quickly as possible. For internal purposes or outside normal hours, the following phone numbers apply:

7:00 - 5:00 Monday to Friday Street Cleaning Office 020 8496 2588/2593

Outside normal hours; Andy Lyon, Operations Manager 07896 509 291

Post Office Ltd has decided to close the branches in Grove Green Road, Leytonstone, Leyton High Road and Hall Lane, Chingford, following a six-week public consultation.

Three branches in Walthamstow, in Chingford Road, Forest Road and Orford Road are now under “further review” with a decision to be made at a later date.

This follows concerns by the watchdog Post Watch that Walthamstow Central post office may struggle to cope with the extra demand if the closures went ahead.

Hale End & Highams Park ward Cllr John Beanse, who campaigned to save the Hall Lane branch, said the three closures showed “a lack of consideration for the needs of local people.”

Cllr Beanse said: “We have been through this before when the Sewardstone Road branch closed.

“The alternatives are not convenient, people will have to travel to Chingford Mount and use the post office, which is in a Costcutter’s store.”

The closures were part of a Government plan to axe 2,500 branches nationwide because of rising losses. It instructed Post Office Ltd to identify branches to close pending the consultation.

Cllr Beanse said: “”The irony is that the most used outlet of most High Streets is the post office.

“When the Labour party was in opposition it used to slam the Conservatives for closing post offices but now it is doing the same thing.”

Post Office Ltd says it received about 27,6000 responses to the consultation.

Post Office Ltd London network development manager Anita Turner said: “These are difficult decisions which have not been taken lightly.

“We have considered very carefully all the comments made during the public consultation.”

The axed branches will close next month.

For more information visit www.news.royalmailgroup.com