Hi In light of a statement that TfL has released, I would like to update my FOI to be: Please can you tell me when anyone from Transport for London first had contact with the artist Banksy and / or his staff/lawyers with regards to the arrangement of graffiti being sprayed on a train carriage depicted here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCn800cFIbe/ What support did TfL provide and at what cost? Was a contract drawn up and if so, please can it be sent over? If it cannot be sent over in its entirety, please can you say why? Were any funds / payment involved in the graffitiing of the train carriage and outside platform wall and if so, how much and to whom? Please can you send any emails / reports which discuss what to do with the train carriage that was graffitied. How much did it cost to remove the graffiti? Is there a contract / emails / reports written before the graffiti was carried out which stipulates TfL’s communication and FOI strategy? When was the graffiti carried out? When did TfL staff first notice that the carriage had been graffitied? What measures were taken to ensure the artist and his team were safe, were security guards present? Please can you send over the CCTV footage of the artist and his team entering the station, going down to the platform, on the platform and train carriage. Did any member of the public contact London Underground staff about this graffiti – either reporting that it was done or that someone was walking around in a protective suit?

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Our ref: FOI-0620-2021/GH

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 14 July 2020 asking for information about Banksy graffiti.

Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold some of the information you require.

Please can you tell me when anyone from Transport for London first had contact with the artist Banksy and / or his staff/lawyers with regards to the arrangement of graffiti being sprayed on a train carriage depicted here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCn800cFIbe/

TfL had no contact with the artist Banksy and/or his staff/lawyers.

What support did TfL provide and at what cost?

No support was provided.

Was a contract drawn up and if so, please can it be sent over?
If it cannot be sent over in its entirety, please can you say why?

No contract was drawn up.

Were any funds / payment involved in the graffitiing of the train carriage and outside platform wall and if so, how much and to whom?

No.

Please can you send any emails / reports which discuss what to do with the train carriage that was graffitied.

We do not hold any such emails or reports. The damage was found and cleaned before our security team were made aware of it. 

How much did it cost to remove the graffiti?

The removal of the graffiti was carried out by our cleaning team as part of their normal duties. The cost is therefore included in the cleaning contract and cannot be separated out for specific incidents.

Is there a contract / emails / reports written before the graffiti was carried out which stipulates TfL’s communication and FOI strategy?

No. TfL was unaware of the graffiti before it occurred.

When was the graffiti carried out?

The graffiti occurred between Barbican and Paddington LU Stations on the Hammersmith & City Line between 05:24hrs to 06:31hrs on 10 July 2020. (The timings were obtained following investigations). 

When did TfL staff first notice that the carriage had been graffitied?

The graffiti would have been noticed by our cleaning contractor upon the train’s return to depot that morning which led to it being removed.

What measures were taken to ensure the artist and his team were safe, were security guards present?

No such measures were put in place by TfL.

Please can you send over the CCTV footage of the artist and his team entering the station, going down to the platform, on the platform and train carriage.

In accordance with the FOI Act, we are not obliged to supply the CCTV footage requested as it is subject to a statutory exemption to the right of access to information under section 31, which exempts from disclosure information which would, or would be likely to prejudice any investigation into this matter.
 
The use of this exemption is subject to an assessment of the public interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. We recognise the need for openness and transparency by public authorities, but in this instance feel that balance lies in favour of withholding the information to ensure that we are able to ensure the effectiveness of any potential investigation into this incident.

Did any member of the public contact London Underground staff about this graffiti – either reporting that it was done or that someone was walking around in a protective suit?

No.

If this is not the information you are looking for, please do not hesitate to contact me.

The impact of current circumstances on TfL’s resources means we are not able to answer FOI requests readily and we ask that you please do not make a request to us at present.
 
Answering FOI requests will require the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity. In any event, please note that our response time will be affected by the current situation.

If you are not satisfied with this response please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely

Graham Hurt
FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London

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