Request ID: FOI-0823-2425 Date published: 27 June 2024
You asked
Hello
I'm a volunteer investigator and a transport enthusiast.
On June 8, 2024, a heritage train journey event by the London Transport Museum was cancelled due to vandalism to the 1938 Tube Stock.
Would you be able to publish photos of the vandalised 1938 Tube Stock?
Can you publish the incident reports or anything in relation to the vandalism of the 1938 Tube Stock?
The reason for requesting the information is because I would like you to publish the photos of the vandalised 1938 Tube Stock, which may cause a bit of controversy, but it will help the general public identify the culprits by their graffiti.
How much did it cost to remove the graffiti and fix the damage made to the 1938 Tube Stock?
I'd be grateful if you can get back to me.
Kind regards
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-0823-2425
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 10th June 2024 asking for information about vandalised 1938 Tube Stock.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
Specifically you asked:
“On June 8, 2024, a heritage train journey event by the London Transport Museum was cancelled due to vandalism to the 1938 Tube Stock.
Would you be able to publish photos of the vandalised 1938 Tube Stock?
Can you publish the incident reports or anything in relation to the vandalism of the 1938 Tube Stock?
The reason for requesting the information is because I would like you to publish the photos of the vandalised 1938 Tube Stock, which may cause a bit of controversy, but it will help the general public identify the culprits by their graffiti.
How much did it cost to remove the graffiti and fix the damage made to the 1938 Tube Stock?”.
I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require (note that we have not calculated the cost of the damage). However, I am afraid that the requested information is exempt from release under sections 31 (prejudice to the prevention of crime), 38 (prejudice to health and safety) and 43(2) (prejudice to commercial interests) of the Freedom of Information Act. The application of these exemptions is based on the fact that release of information under FOI is deemed to be to the world at large, rather than the individual applicant, and may therefore be of interest to anyone looking to carry out similar acts in the future including, potentially, the perpetrator of this particular incident.
TfL is keen to ensure that such acts are not advertised or encouraged in any way. We have avoided releasing information on vandalism on the TfL network in the past and we continue to be very cautious about encouraging vandalism by releasing any information that makes TfL assets an attractive target by increasing the perceived “challenge” to vandals which we know is a key motivation for their activity.
Whilst we appreciate there is a public interest in openness and transparency, particularly with relation to criminality on our network, we consider that the greater public interest is served by application of the exemptions which are in place to avoid repeat incidents and other forms of vandalism occurring which have a detrimental impact on our finances, the safety of perpetrators and the prevention or detection of crime.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
