PICTURED: The disgusting site greeting visitors to Sheffield city centre

Graffiti is scrawled along the wall at the Supertram's Sheffield railway station stop, meaning anyone arriving to the city by rail and then hoping to use public transport are greeted with around 800-metres of graffiti.

It comes just over 18 months after Network Rail used specialist cleaning equipment to clean up the wall behind the station.

Sheffield Business Improvement District (BID) recently held a scheme to clean graffiti of city centre businesses free of charge and while the station falls just outside BID's area, manager Diane Jarvis called for a joined-up approach to tackle the problem.

She said: “Cleaning up unwelcome graffiti makes a big difference – it shows the city cares about how it looks – and it helps to create a better place for those who live and work within it.

"It is an important part of showing our best side to visitors and is a big problem that needs to be addressed. Sheffield BID supports those businesses that fund the Business Improvement District with a free-graffiti removal service for commercial properties affected by unsightly graffiti.

"A consolidated approach involving multiple partners is also needed to maintain the appearance of key gateways. Addressing graffiti vandalism is not just about cleaning it up, it should also be about crime prevention measures and restorative justice.”

A spokesman for Network Rail said the firm was aware of the graffiti and said, given its limited funding, it had to prioritise investing in trains and rail infrastructure.

He added: “We are aware of issues with graffiti in the area surrounding Sheffield railway station. In 2016, a team of volunteers from Network Rail carried out work to clean the area and remove graffiti from a wall behind the station and next to the Supertram lines.

“Whilst we appreciate that the graffiti may look unpleasant, Network Rail has a set amount of funding and must prioritise keeping the railway running reliably and safely. That being said, maintenance teams at Network Rail are currently looking at possibilities for improving the area.”