| Nexus Graffiti Supervisor, Steve Hunt, said: “The latest murals look really good and really brighten up the station. We are keen to get youngsters from all parts of Tyneside involved and give them the chance to display their art work at Chillingham Road.” Nexus has had the dedicated graffiti display boards at Chillingham Road Metro station for the last three years to provide young people with an area to show off their artistic talents with a spray can but still remain on the right side of the law. Since the displays were erected the number of illegal graffiti attacks in the area has been reduced. The displays, which generally take two or three weeks to complete, are left on show for a month before they are replaced. Nexus maintains a zero tolerance attitude towards all illegal graffiti on Metro property and anyone caught will be prosecuted. Metro’s 17-strong team of graffiti cleaners work round the clock to clean off illegal graffiti, or ‘tags’ as they are often known as. All graffiti of a racist, sexual or homophobic nature is removed within 24 hours of appearing. Nexus spends £300,000 a year on graffiti cleaning; this includes trains, stations, bridges, signal boxes and other associated track-side areas. | 
