We’re intimidating benefit ‘thieves’, with graffiti

I saw the above recently on Broughton Street in Edinburgh. This is known as “clean graffiti” or “reverse graffiti”, and involves using a power washer to clean off grime and dirt, leaving behind clean patches that reveal some graffiti. In this case, a stencil would have been used. The main proponent of this form of graffiti in the UK is Paul Curtis, aka Moose, and his commercial clients include Big Brother, Xbox, the Metropolitan Police and Greenpeace.

The example above is also one of his designs, and is part of a campaign against benefit cheats by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

It’s quite controversial for two reasons:

1. It’s using a form of graffiti, which is always going to attract criticism from certain sectors, despite in this case actually cleaning away dirt rather than using paint
2. It’s directly targeting groups of people, in the places they live, work and shop.

There was an article in the Scotsman last October complaining that this campaign was wrongly targeting residential property in Inverleith. Apparently the DWP had pre-agreed all sites with the council, and none should have been outside residential property.

After I saw this one on Broughton Street, quite clearly in front of the entrance to some flats, I put in a Freedom of Information request through the WhatDoTheyKnow.com site, to find out what other sites in Edinburgh had been hit by this campaign.

The Scotsman article quotes a DWP spokeswoman stating that 30 sites were agreed, but the response from Edinburgh City Council confirms it was really 36.

1. Waverley Steps – Waverley Station
2. Waverley Steps – Princes Mall
3. North Bridge / Waterloo Place – Waverley Gate Building –
4. Broughton Street – Baroque Bar
5. Broughton Street – Real Food Store
6. Broughton Street – Ladbrokes
7. Broughton Street – Chip Shop
8. Broughton Lane – Mathers Bar
9. Eyre Place – Pavement near Esso Station
10. Inverleith Row – Bookmakers
11. Inverleith Row – Goldenacre Mini Market
12. Inverleith Row – Victoria Wine
13. Ferry Road / Pilton Drive – Morrisons Supermarket
14. Dalry Road – Lidl Car Park
15. Haymarket Station – Outside Starbucks
16. Clifton Terrace – Outside Social Security Office
17. Richmond Terrace – Dalry Road – next to many charity shops
18. Caledonian Road / Dalry Road – Apple Pharmacy
19. West Tollcross – Ignite Club
20. West Tollcross – Wall outside of Ignite
21. Dundee Terrace – outside newsagent and post office
22. Dundee Street – Fountain Park Cinema Complex
23. Gorgie Road – Opposite Station Tavern under rail bridge
24. Gorgie Road – William Hill
25. Stewart Terrace / Gorgie Road – Blockbuster Video
26. Tynecastle – Heart of Midlothian Football Stadium
27. Montague Street – The Malthurst Pub
28. Clerk Street / Rankeillor Street – Chapman Chemist
29. Rankeillor Street – Thresher Wine
30. George IV Bridge – Pizza Shop
31. Merchant Street – Under the Stairs Bar
32. Cowgate – Three Sisters
33. Tron Square
34. Blair Street – City Café
35. South Bridge – Flight Centre
36. Stairs from South Bridge to train station – past the Scotsman Newspaper building

The photo above must be the Broughton Street – Real Food Store site; Real Foods is next door to number 35. How many of the other locations also target private residential properties? The council has since removed the DWP adverts at the Goldenacre Mini Market on Inverleith Row and the Malthurst Pub on Montague Street, but how many still remain visible, wrongly intimidating law-abiding residents?