AN ATTEMPT to beautify an eyesore has backfired after criminals used it as an opportunity to start a vandalism campaign writes Ben Greening. Residents say there has been a massive increase in nuisance behaviour in Ryde House, just off Priory Park Road in

AN ATTEMPT to beautify an eyesore has backfired after criminals used it as an opportunity to start a vandalism campaign writes Ben Greening.

Residents say there has been a massive increase in nuisance behaviour in Ryde House, just off Priory Park Road in Kilburn, since flower trellises were installed on a nearby electricity substation in 2007.

Young people have been climbing up the trellises to get into the block, where they have then been spraying graffiti in corridors, burning wall paint with cigarettes and damaging CCTV cameras.

"This block is very bad. It's been bad for years but now it's worse." said Leslie Clyne, who has been a resident in Ryde House for 14 years and was mugged at knifepoint by three youths outside the block last December.

Police said they were aware of the problems and were investigating vandalism to one of the CCTV cameras.

Brent Housing Partnership (BHP), which manages the block, has promised to put an anti-climb cactus on the podium next to the substation to deter trespassers.

A BHP spokeswoman said they would also be distributing fliers encouraging residents not to let strangers into the block.

The problems began to worsen when renovations to the next door College of North West London (CNWL) led to the electricity substation being beautified in 2007.

A CNWL spokesman said the trellises were put up because the are looked stark.

He added: "We arranged to cover it with timber cladding to break up the solid walls and possibly to encourage plants to grow over it.