Neglected Victim? Or Drama Queen?

Anthony Rivers of Whinchat Road, Thamesmead, woke up to find the offensive graffiti when his partner was leaving for work.

But he had to wait four days for his housing association, Gallions, to remove it, despite the graffiti being flagged up as high priority.

Because of a simple error, which has now been apologised for, and rectified. But is Mr Rivers satisfied?

Oh, no, he isn’t:

Mr Rivers, who works as a youth support worker, called Gallions and asked the housing association to clean his door.

He said: “I was told someone would be round to clean the door in 24 hours but no-one came.

“It should have been done straight away.

“Instead I had to come home to see the door in that state.

“I was stuck with the haunting of what happened.”

I suppose you couldn’t have removed it yourself? Or covered it up?

Waking up to the graffiti on September 8, Mr Rivers said: “I was horrified someone could do this.

“Loads of questions went through my head and then I realised people would walk past my door and see it.

“I was embarrassed more than anything else.”

So embarrassed you….went to the local paper.

So now everyone in the area – rather than just the immediate visitors to your flat – knows you’re getting hate mail and vandalism, and since this is on the Internet, potentially the whole world…

“I just feel so neglected. I hate coming home now.

“I want to move. There is such a lack of support.”

Now, before anyone accuses me of being unsympathetic, no, he shouldn’t have to suffer hate mail and graffiti, and nor should anyone else. And yes, it is the responsibility of the housing association, and they did drop the ball initially.

But for god’s sake, if it was that ‘traumatising’, could he not have got the paint and sandpaper out himself? Then sent a bill for the materials to the housing company with a stiffly-worded letter?

Or does everything have to be a public crisis now? Truly, we live in a 'Tricia' and 'Jeremy Kyle' nation.