Frenchs Forest: Graffiti vandals set to be scuppered from spray can sprees above Warringah Rd, Forest Way intersection

Graffiti gang vandals who daub ugly criminal graffiti 5m above a busy Sydney road junction are set to be thwarted — after an 18-month community push.

Ugly graffiti on glass panels along a pedestrian walkway above the multi-lane roadway at the intersection of Warringah Rd and Forest Way at Frenchs Forest on Tuesday. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

Authorities are set to move to finally get rid of a notoriously ugly — and dangerous — illegal graffiti hotspot on the northern beaches.

Locals and Northern Beaches Council had been officially complaining for 18 months for the state government to clean up the grotesque vandalism above one of its busiest road junctions.

Concerns had been raised that the graffiti was not only unsightly, but that spray paint vandals, some as young as 13 years old, risked serious injury and death while defacing a pedestrian path at the intersection of Warringah Rd and Forest Way at Frenchs Forest.

Residents reported seeing graffiti gangs walking along a 60cm-wide ledge, 5 metres above the four-lane roadway.

Graffiti above the multi-lane roadway at the intersection of Warringah Rd and Forest Way at Frenchs Forest will be removed in “coming weeks”. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

For 18 months a frustrated Liberal councillor for the Frenchs Forest Ward, Stuart Sprott, has been pushing for the government, which manages Warringah Rd and Forest Way, to clean up the unsightly graffiti on the glass panels installed to protect pedestrians and reduce noise to nearby homes.

Cr Sprott also wanted Transport for NSW (TfNSW) to install measures to prevent vandals from reaching the ledge to commit their crimes.

Transport authorities confirmed they are looking at measures to stop the graffiti vandals. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

In June he successfully moved a motion that the council write to the NSW Government to highlight the dangers associated with graffiti and tagging on the walkway and ask transport authorities to investigate ways to make the area safe.

The council has raised several complaints directly with TfNSW regarding graffiti at the intersection.

Vandals are able to scale a fence and walk along a 60cm-wide ledge in front of glass panels covered in graffiti on a pedestrian walkway 5m above the roadway at the intersection of Warringah Rd and Forest Way. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

Cr Sprott said he was told that the government was reluctant to clean the graffiti up because it would mean working at height and that Warringah Rd would have to be closed.

“But it’s an easy fix,” he said on Tuesday.

“Transport for NSW just has to send someone in, have a look at the spot, and work out a redesign to stop the kids jumping over the fence and walking along the ledge to spray paint the panels.

“When you stop them doing graffiti you save money in having to remove the graffiti.

“It’s a no-brainer. We’ve waited way too long.

Graffiti on glass panels along a pedestrian walkway above the intersection of Warringah Rd and Forest Way on Tuesday. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

“And you potentially stop one of these kids being killed if they fell and were hit by a car.”

Resident Shelley Allum, who lives just metres from the graffiti hotspot, said that even as recently as midnight on Monday, she heard teenagers spraying the panels.

Ms Allum, who had written to the council about removing the graffiti, said she shouted at a group of teens, as young as 13 years old, and they ran off.

“One of them dropped his phone.

“They are here all the time, spraying the back and front of the panels.

“Something has to be done to have it stopped.”

Frenchs Forest resident Shelley Allum has complained about the graffiti on glass panels along a pedestrian walkway above the multi-lane roadway at the intersection of Warringah Rd and Forest Way at Frenchs Forest. Her daughter Caitlin, 9, presented a speech to her class at Frenchs Forest Public School about ways to get rid of the graffiti. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

Ms Allum said even her nine-year-old daughter Caitlin was aware of the vandalism.

“She wrote a speech for her class at Frenchs Forest Public School about how she would stop the graffiti. She suggested anti-graffiti paint.”

Om Tuesday afternoon a TfNSW spokesman said in a statement to the Manly Daily that it planned to remove the graffiti at the intersection “over the coming weeks”.

It also confirmed it was examining ways to stop the graffiti gangs.

“Transport is currently investigating options to install a viable graffiti deterrent at this intersection,” it said.

It is also understood that understands that NSW Police is working with TfNSW on graffiti deterrence measures at the intersection to location to prevent or limit future access.