Joshua Hall, who lives in Elm Park, noticed offensive graffiti on the 165 bus after he boarded it at around 3.45pm on Monday (September 8).
The 17-year-old told this paper that the vandalism was across both the upper and lower decks in large black marker pen, displaying “disgusting” anti-Muslim messages.
While he notified the bus driver immediately, and later reported the crime to the Metropolitan Police, Joshua said he was still “taken aback” by it.
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“I was quite shocked that someone in our local community would go out and do that,” he told the Recorder.
“I was surprised someone would act as blatantly hateful as that on public transport, in a public space.
“I’m not the recipient of the hateful messages but I’m still hurt that someone would say something like this about people who live in Havering.
“I was appalled and that’s what provoked me to report it.”
There were other, younger schoolchildren on the bus who had seen the graffiti, Joshua said, but the driver was not aware of it until he informed him.
A Met Police spokesperson said that enquiries continue into the incident and no arrests have been made at this stage.
The spokesperson said: “Police were notified via an online report at 4.38pm on Monday, September 8 to reports of racially motivated criminal damage on the side of a bus in Elm Park, Havering.
“If you have any information that could help police please call 101 quoting 01/7948387/25.”
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The operator of the bus route is now in the process of removing the graffiti, Transport for London (TfL) told the Recorder.
A TfL spokesperson said: “Everyone is welcome on our transport network, and we stand together against racism and hatred in all its forms.
“All passengers have the right to travel without fear and making public transport be safe and feel safe is an absolute priority for TfL.
“We were alerted to this graffiti on one of our buses and the operator of the route is removing it.”
