Transport for London has said it has a “zero tolerance” policy towards “vandalism” and vowed to get police involved after an Overground train was sprayed with graffiti.

This morning the latest train to be covered in street art was seen at Highbury and Islignton this morning, on the line from Stratford to Clapham Junction/Richmond.

But it won’t be there for long, as chiefs say as soon as they are made aware of graffiti they send the train back to the depot and remove it.

TfL’s policing chief Steve Burton said: “Our teams work hard to ensure our trains and stations remain a pleasant environment for our passengers.

“We have a zero tolerance approach towards vandalism on the network and refer any instance to the police for investigation.”

Graffiti of trains emerged on the New York Subway in the 1970s, but the city’s City Transit Authority (NYCTA) adopted its own “zero tolerance” policy and in 1984 launched a five-year programme to remove it all.