News Release

The writing's on the wall at Police Headquarters

Dated: 21 Aug 2008

The writings on the wall at Police Headquarters

Youngsters have been drawing on their artistic skills this week to brighten up Northumbria Police headquarters.

Youth groups were invited to the force’s public order training site at Ponteland to spray paint colourful murals relating to the police and Northumbria's current knife crime campaign.

Some of the young people involved in the project have had action taken against them for illegal graffiti.

PC Andy Cameron, Specialist Skills Training, said: "This is a great way of turning a negative into a positive - giving youngsters the chance to put their artistic skills to good use, instead of creating illegal graffiti.

"The kids have been working alongside artists and have come up with some great designs.

"It also gives the kids the chance to see another side of the police and we've shown them a couple of public order demonstrations which they really enjoyed.

The two-day event was organised in partnership with Nexus and Creative Ginger, which co-ordinates urban art and music workshops.

Steve Hunt, Nexus building maintenance supervisor and co-ordinator, said: "Nexus has a zero tolerance approach to graffiti and over the last couple of years we've worked with various groups on legal graffiti projects.

"At Chillingham Road Metro station in Heaton, we have a show area with five display boards which has proved very effective in reducing graffiti in that area.

"The youngsters involved are generally keen to co-operate in schemes like this and I know they're excited about the police headquarters project."

Andy Morley, of Creative Ginger, added: "This isn't just graffiti for graffiti's sake - all the projects we get involved with have a purpose, like this one where all the artwork is themed about the police."