When is graffiti art and when does it become vandalism?

Last week the district’s World Heritage Site saw the ugly side of graffiti, when a series of tags and messages were sprayed on shelters at Roberts Park.

Slogans daubed across Saltaire’s popular park, given a £4.3 million makeover, included ‘Knock Fascism For 6’ in black paint on Saltaire Cricket Club’s scorebox and ‘Remember Goose Green’ on a shelter.

“It may be amusing for whoever has done this, but not for us,” said club chairman Ed Duguid. “It is fair enough that people have political views, but to deface buildings that people have literally spent hundreds of thousands of pounds putting back together is not particularly helpful.”

A clean-up operation is under way, and police are investigating.

It’s not the first time Saltaire has fallen victim to graffiti vandals. In 2007, graffiti was sprayed on the statue of Sir Titus Salt in the village.

On Monday, it emerged that the bowling club pavilion in Crowgill Park, Shipley, had also been sprayed with anti-fascist slogans, and in recent weeks, similar graffiti was daubed on Salts Sports Club, Saltaire, and in Carr Lane, Shipley.

Also last week, Bradford Crown Court heard how rail graffiti vandals David Broadbent and Paul Scott showed off images of their criminal handiwork on the internet.

They were caught when a British Transport Police graffiti specialist investigator matched their tags ‘Mesie’ and ‘Croke’ with spray-paint damage to Northern Rail property across the region.

Broadbent, 20, of Brighouse, and Scott, 18, of Tyersal, were ordered to carry out unpaid work and given ASBOs following a spree of graffiti damage to trains and railway walls and buildings in Skipton, Bradford and Huddersfield, causing thousands of pounds of damage.

The court heard that the pair had been part of a graffiti crew sub-culture that posted its “artwork” online and in magazines.

Detective Constable Jason Ridgway of BTP said the vandals’ spree had caused rail operators “an 18-month headache”.

“The damage and clean-up costs mounted to more than £30,000, costs that have to be borne by someone and that someone is ultimately the fare-paying passenger,” he said.

“Their so-called tags, which were planned and well-organised, were placed with the sole intention of causing as much damage and disruption to passengers as possible. They used essential rail infrastructure as their canvas.”

Network Rail general manager Warrick Dent said more than £3.5 million is spent annually on the removal of graffiti, yet it continues to be seen by many as urban art.

While it spells misery and expense for many, graffiti is a creative expression for others.

If expressed in a legitimate environment, it can showcase and develop artistic talents. That was the thinking behind graffiti workshops set up by Rick Shipley, whose own talent as a graffiti artist was spotted on a wall he had permission to paint on.

Rick works with young people around the UK, teaching established graffiti art techniques. He says the appeal is that it’s “really fast – you can do a full painting in a day.”

As a teenager, he was inspired by a documentary on New York’s hip-hop graffiti scene. Now he receives commissions for his graffiti artwork and had work displayed in Bradford’s Urban Garden last summer.

While he has no time for graffiti vandalism – “it gives what we do a bad name and it looks a mess,” he says – he wants more areas where youngsters can develop skills.

He knows what it’s like to be verbally abused while spraying in public, albeit legitimately. “People see you using spray paint and shout all sorts,” he says. “If I was doing the same thing with a paintbrush, it would be different.”

Rick worked with Bradford Council on setting up a graffiti wall in the subway at Odsal Top, which reduced vandalism. “There was no tagging because everyone was up there painting,” says Rick.

Charlene Walton of Keighley welcomed Rick’s efforts to provide a platform for young graffiti artists.

“My son got into urban art, but there weren’t many places where he could express himself creatively,” she says. “He got involved with the graffiti wall and now he’s at art college.

“Graffiti vandalism gives all graffiti artists a bad name. It’s a creative artform, but when its daubed across railway bridges and parks it looks ugly.”