W12 Manhunt: Catch this animal

A headline worthy of a tabloid at full throttle perhaps, but actually in this case entirely appropriate. Watch the video above. You will see a man enter the lift in Bush Court, the block of flats that dominate the south side of the Green next to the W12 shopping centre, and urinate all over it. The time is shortly after 1.15am on Wednesday February 22.

He's talking to his mate, and takes care to make sure he sprays most of the part of the lift you have to walk into. Later a woman goes to use the lift, takes one look and walks off again. If it was later that morning and she'd had kids, a buggy, or had been elderly and unable to use the stairs she'd have had no choice. And that's exactly what did confront people later on. 

This falls into the category of petty crime - but to the people who have to put up with it it's anything but. It's behaviour that falls below even most animals, who don't tend to piss in areas they then have to live in. And the chances are this guy probably does live in Bush Court himself, or at least visits it regularly. 

He's been busted by our Council's ever increasing determination to use publicity as a means of both catching and deterring scumbags like this man. The Council themselves have now installed a state-of-the-art CCTV surveillance system which is linked in to numerous estates across the borough.

All images are relayed back to the council's main CCTV control room at Hammersmith Town Hall where trained operatives scour the footage looking for incidents of crime and antisocial behaviour.

Councillor Andrew Johnson, cabinet member for housing said:

“I find this act truly appalling. The sooner this despicable individual is caught the better. This lift is used every day by decent, law abiding people, including women and children and we will not tolerate louts like this who refuse to live by the rules of a civilised society. 

“This council spends more than £200,000 a year on clearing up after wanton acts of mindless vandalism and unfortunately, at the end of the day we have no choice but to pass some of that cost onto tenants and leaseholders in the form of rent of service charges. 

“The message to hooligans like this is even when you think that there is no-one around, we are watching you. Nothing would make me happier than if a reader of this article is able to shop this nasty piece of work.”

I am more than happy to help and think the Council deserve real credit for using technology like this - I know that many of you live in Bush Court because I've had contact with some of you about upkeep issues there in the last couple of years. Send this to your neighbours. And if you, they, or anyone else has any information about this individual please call the council’s Bush Court housing officer on 020 8753 6886. You can contact the council anonymously if you wish or feel free to anonymously leave a comment.