An overnight graffiti attack on South Dunedin has left residents and business people disgruntled at what they say is the latest in a long line of disturbances in the area.
Melbourne St and King Edward St residents woke yesterday to find walls, footpaths, mailboxes, fences and vehicles covered in spraypainted scrawls.
The walls of St Patrick's School, the South Dunedin telephone exchange building, a dairy, a construction site and the Dunedin South Medical Centre in Melbourne St were the main targets, while private mailboxes and fences all along the street also featured freshly spray-painted symbols.
In King Edward St, the same marks appeared on buildings along a 200m section of the street near Melbourne St and on the side of van parked in Wynyard St.
The vandals had entered one residence through an open front door and left their mark on the kitchen wall.
Senior Sergeant Phil McDouall, of South Dunedin, said tagging was a regular problem in South Dunedin, but attacks as big as this were not usual.
It was particularly difficult for police to track down taggers, but given the offenders in this case must have been in the area for an extended period of time police hoped they would have been seen by someone.
Any help the public could offer police of sightings or any information would be welcome, he said.
A Melbourne St resident said the activity was unwelcome and made the people living there uncomfortable.
Lately, groups of young people could be heard walking along the street swearing loudly on weekend nights.
The noise usually started about 2am and was accompanied by people "hooning" down the street in vehicles, he said.
"I think the police could do with making a few drive-bys of this street about that time."
The odd tagging had been done in the street previously, but nothing like yesterday's damage, he said.
One King Edward St business owner said the company was seriously considering moving the business following increasingly negative activity in the area that was making clients uncomfortable about coming to the shop.
Affiliates of two gangs had moved into the neighbourhood and parties began almost every day, any time from noon, she said.
"People [in cars] come screeching around the corner, at top speed, all the time.
"There are lots of little old ladies living around here. Why should they have to worry about that walking down the street. Just because it is South Dunedin they think they can do whatever they like."
