Tributes have been paid to three graffiti artists killed by a train in south London, while a local Conservative party chairman is facing calls for his expulsion after describing the men as “common scum”.
Police have informed the families of the three men, aged 19, 23 and 23, who were killed by a freight train near Loughborough Junction station on Monday morning.
Their relatives and members of the London street art scene eulogised them as talented artists whose deaths had left them bereft.
Harrison Scott-Hood, who was 23 and from Muswell Hill in north London, was “loved by everyone”, said his parents, Susie and Perry, adding: “He was an intelligent and wonderful boy who had so many close friends.” Their son was a “beautiful artist”, they said.
The family said in a statement: “We are completely heartbroken by the loss of our only son, Harrison. He was the love of our life, a kind and beautiful young man and we were beyond broken by this news.
“Many people will know Harrison loved to travel, he was a beautiful artist and spent time recently travelling around Vietnam and Cambodia. Harrison completed us. He is irreplaceable and we will hold the memories of him dearly.”
Alberto Fresneda Carrasco, a 19-year-old Spanish-American who lived in north London, enjoyed fashion and was due to begin studying graphic design at the London College of Communication in September.
His family said: “With great pain we have received the news of the death of our son ... We believe the three were hit by a train when they were painting graffiti late at night in a particularly dangerous place. His absence has left a deep hole in the family,.” His death had “left a deep hole”, they said.
Spray cans were found close to the men’s bodies on the tracks. The third victim was named by family as Jack Gilbert, 23, from Muswell Hill, north London. Messages were left to the trio under their “tags” of Kbag, Lover and Trip on social media.
A spokesman for the British Transport police said: “Efforts are still under way to establish the circumstances of how the men came to be on the tracks.”
Tributes were also paid by the street art community online. Many messages read “rest in paint”, alongside images of the men’s painted tags on trains and walls. Another read: “Stay safe people, it’s not a game.”
The ukfrontline Instagram page, an online forum for graffiti artists, has set up a tribute page. It included what is purported to be a photograph of Trip, one of the identified graffiti artists, as he mounted a fence.
The forum also rounded on Brian Cooke, a former mayor of Bromley and a former board member of Transport for London, who took issue with the BBC for describing the men as “graffiti artists”.
Cooke described the men on his Twitter account as “common scum and criminals who cost the railways millions and keep fares high”.
Cooke was suspended last month as chairman of Beckenham Conservative Association for using obscene language against the Liberal Democrat former mayor of Bromley Ian Payne, and calling him a “shameful excuse for a Christian human being” during a row on Twitter.
Sam Webber, the Lib Dem candidate for Bromley and Chislehurst at the last general election, said: “He certainly shouldn’t be saying things like this about a very sensitive and tragic incident. After being suspended by the Conservatives you would think he would know better than going on Twitter and ranting about this incident.”
Angela Wilkins, the Labour group leader on Bromley council, said Cooke should be expelled from the Conservative party.
“They should take further action. It’s outrageous,” she said. “He should be thrown out of the party, the guy shouldn’t be involved in politics at any level.”
Marc Vallée, who spent a year documenting a London graffiti crew, agreed, saying: “His comments are callous and insensitive especially at this very early stage, and especially from a former TfL board member.
“I would hope that if he is still a member of the Conservative party that the transport secretary and others would say that he has brought his party into disrepute and expel him.”
Cooke has been contacted for comment.
A Conservative party spokeswoman said: “Brian Cooke has been suspended pending investigation.”
The rail regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, has opened a preliminary investigation into the deaths of the three men.