Three homes in Frith Road, Leyton, were attacked in the early hours of Wednesday (26th February), with ‘brothel’ sprayed on one, reports Marco Marcelline
Several homes in Leyton were daubed in red paint and motor oil by vandals this week, just days after an identical incident in Leytonstone left residents shaken.
Three homes in Frith Road, Leyton, were attacked in the early hours of Wednesday (26th February), with “brothel” sprayed on a house the Echo understands is used as an AirBnB.
This attack follows an identical attack on several homes in Norman Road, Leytonstone on Wednesday 19th February.
In that event, a bed-and-breakfast was the main target of the attack. Footage captured by residents’ Ring cameras seen by the Echo showed two hooded males carrying buckets and walking into front gardens.
A Norman Road resident, who preferred not to give his name, told the Echo that the incident had left his terraced home with “extensive and costly” damage that would require a specialist to remove.
He added that he was “deeply disappointed” with the police response to the situation, stating they had not visited him since the attack.
The Echo understands that homes in Calderon Road, Leyton, have also been vandalised on two separate occasions. The first attack hit four homes and took place in the early hours of Friday 31st January, and the second, which affected six homes, happened on the morning of Thursday 6th February.
A neighbour living near the affected homes who spoke to the Echo anonymously said the attacks had left residents, some of whom are elderly, “very nervous”.
A spate of similar vandal attacks on homes and businesses across London and the rest of the country have been reported in recent years.
Two shops in Leytonstone High Road were daubed in red paint in May 2024, while a Thames Hospice charity shop in Reading, and a block of flats in Bradford were vandalised last year. Vandals in those incidents also spray painted “brothel” on the buildings.
Another attack targeting two properties in West Hampstead in December 2023 saw police state there was “no evidence” to suggest the homes were being used as brothels.
The act of engaging in prostitution is legal, but owning or managing a brothel, and pimping, are illegal.
A spokesperson for the Met Police said: “We are aware of a number of incidents whereby addresses in the Leytonstone area have been criminally damaged with red paint in the last month.
These incidents are being investigated by the local Safer Neighbourhoods Team to ensure all investigative leads are explored and support is provided to the victims of these incidents.
At this stage there has been no arrest and enquiries into the circumstances continue.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or message @MetCC on X quoting CAD 1081/19FEB.
Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.
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