Mural on Crossrail route in east London is slammed by residents for featuring poetry quote saying it is a nice place to live apart from 'the crime and murders'
- A £1 million artwork along a section of the delayed Crossrail has been criticised
- The 1.2mile Newham Trackside Wall runs from North Woolwich to Custom House
- Locals claim one mural on the artwork is 'derogatory' as it references murders
- Following some local outrage, Crossrail announced the artwork will be covered Crossrail has sparked fury after it's mural designed to celebrate East London made light of 'crime and murders' in the area.
Angry residents blasted the £1million artwork as 'derogatory' and a waste of money - which could have gone to community groups.
The 1.2-mile mural - which is thought to be the biggest in Europe - will run alongside the Elizabeth Line track.
Locals have expressed outrage over a section of artwork on Newham Trackside Wall in Woolwich, which included a poem that referenced the area's murder rate
The poem, Like A Village, which forms part of the £1m artwork, references the area's crime rate
It is called the Newham Trackside Wall from North Woolwich to Custom House.
Work started last month, however locals have already blasted a poem in one section - which mentions that 'the only negative thing is the crime and the murder'.
Residents are furious that overlooking their homes is a mural talking about murders.The poem - entitled Like A Village - starts by saying: 'I love this area North Woolwich.
'I'm glad I was brought up here, it's like a village.'
But after listing some of the sites such as the hairdressers, the police station and Chinese takeaway it mentions the crime rate.
It says: 'The only negative thing is the crime and the murders, which has been increasing.
'That is unfortunate, but other than that everything else is fine.'
Photographer Mark Oliver had gone to photograph the mural for his blog Street Art Goodness, but was left outraged by the poem.
Mr Oliver said: 'Having traveled the world looking at art I can confirm this Berlin Wall of shame is nothing of the sort.
'I know a few artists that could have done something in a more creative and tasteful way for free.
'It's such a shame that local residents are never listened to, apart from that awful quote.
'Hopefully somebody in authority can explain their thinking and more importantly remove it.'
While Cllr Sarah Ruiz raged: 'There are no words!
'Given this was a paid commission you would think someone would have sense checked.'
Following the outcry Crossrail confirmed it would be covered up.
A spokesperson said: 'Following concerns about the language on part of the Newham Trackside Wall, the panel will now be covered up to allow the content to be further considered with the local community and council.'
A spokesperson for Crossrail said the poem would be covered up while a decision was made about it's future following consultation with the local community and the council
How Silvertown has become one of London's biggest regeneration areas after falling into dereliction
A huge regeneration is taking place in Silvertown, which is a largely forgotten part of the West Ham area of Newham and an industrial wasteland which has fallen into dereliction.
The ambitious plans for the 62-acre site centre around the restoration of the 1930s Millennium Mills, once home to food manufacturer Rank Hovis MacDougall. The building has not been used since the early 1980s.
The plans also include a bridge across Royal Victoria Dock to connect Silvertown Quays with the Crossrail station at Custom House, and a new Roundhouse East that will be a music venue and education space.
The Millennium Mills building in Silvertown, which could soon be transformed into a cultural centre, is pictured in its heyday
Four elephants return from a Chipperfield's Circus tour of South Africa at South West India Docks near Silvertown in 1968
An aerial view of the BP oil refinery at Silvertown in 1961. The area is now a largely forgotten part of the West Ham area of Newham
Silvertown was home to companies including James Keiller & Sons, makers of marmalade, and the sugar refiners Tate & Lyle (pictured)
Transport for London is also hoping to dig a new road tunnel beneath the Thames from Silvertown to the Greenwich Peninsula. The deadline for a decision on that is approaching next month on May 10.
The Silver Building in Silvertown, which is set to open later this year, will become home to start-ups, local businesses and artists. Originally built in 1965 for British Oil and Cake Mills, the site was left derelict for more than 20 years.
Silvertown, which lies close to London City Airport, was once a booming industrial centre in the 19th and early 20th century, home to companies including James Keiller & Sons, makers of marmalade, and the sugar refiners Tate & Lyle.
However it was devastated by an explosion at the Brunner Mond factory, which was being used to purify TNT during the First World War. It killed 73 people, injured more than 400 and destroyed 900 homes.
Then in the Second World War Silvertown and the Royal Docks suffered major damage from German shelling. Thereafter much of the area fell into dereliction, including local shops and pubs.
The 26,263-ton Shaw Savill liner Dominion Monarch dwarfs the surrounding houses from her dry dock at Silvertown in 1950
The Tate & Lyle sugar refinery can be seen from above in 1974. Much of the area fell into dereliction following the Second World War
A huge regeneration is taking place in Silvertown after it become an industrial wasteland which fell into dereliction
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