Men believed to be in their 20s died at the scene, with spray cans found nearby

Three graffiti artists have been killed by a freight train on tracks in south-west London, prompting expressions of grief and disbelief from the city’s street art community.

British Transport Police (BTP) found the bodies of three men believed to be in their 20s after being called at 7.34am on Monday, when a train driver noticed them on tracks between Brixton and Loughborough Junction stations. Spray cans were found close by and officers were seen photographing graffiti as part of their inquiries.

A BTP spokesman said the force was trying to trace the train that hit the men and it was not clear what time the incident happened. Rail industry sources told the Guardian that the incident occurred at about 5am, before passenger services were running in the area. They believed the victims may have been caught in the slipstream of a passing empty train.

Supt Matthew Allingham said the three men were declared dead at the scene. “Officers have delivered the sad news to one family that we believe one of the men was their son,” he said. “We are still working to identify and locate the next of kin for the other two men. If you know who they are, please let us know.

“Our investigation is focusing on how and why the men came to be on the tracks in the early hours of this morning.”

Helicopter news footage showed police officers, forensic investigators in white disposable suits and railway officials loading body bags on stretchers before midday, shortly after officers could be seen walking on to the tracks at Brixton station.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Emergency workers on the tracks of Loughborough Junction station where three people were killed by a train. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA

The incident is believed to be the first multiple fatality of graffiti artists painting illegally since 2007 when Bradley “Ozone” Chapman, 21, and Daniel “Wants” Elgar, 19, were struck by a District line train while running away from police who spotted them painting trains at a London Underground depot near Barking, east London.

A street artist with knowledge of the stretch of line where the men died said he understood the victims were well-known figures in the scene.



“It’s a very well-known section of track for graffiti,” said the source, who asked not to be named. “It still has some of the oldest illegal graffiti in south London and even has pieces down there from several writers who have passed away … a lot of names reaching back two decades along that track. It leads into central London which increases the desirability for getting seen.”

Graffiti writers knew that freight trains travelled along the section of track, he said and so would usually stay close to the sides to be able to avoid trains.

The raised lines in the area between Brixton and Loughborough are fairly clear and straight, he said “There’s usually a middle section down parts of the track there that could be used as a way of avoiding trouble, they might have been moving between sections.”

Tributes were paid to the victims on the ukfrontline Instagram page, an online hub for graffiti artists in the UK. “Don’t think I ever heard of so many writers being took out at the same time absolutely devastating news,” wrote one commenter. “My thoughts and prayers go out to those involved, their friends and their families.”

Painting trains is seen as the gold standard of graffiti art, but writers are also lured into taking risks on the tracks because of the respect gained for painting in the most difficult to reach but nonetheless highly visible spots.



The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, said his office was in close contact with the police investigating the incident. “My heart goes out to the families of the three people killed at Loughborough Junction,” he said.

Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) My heart goes out to the families of the three people killed at Loughborough Junction station this morning. If you have any information about this incident please contact @BTP by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40 pic.twitter.com/kYzEbIvMpS

Several Thameslink trains were cancelled. Stations in the area remained open but services were delayed while the scene was investigated. A Network Rail spokesman said: “Network Rail is assisting the British Transport Police as they investigate an incident at Loughborough Junction this morning.”

The rail regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, has opened a preliminary investigation.