Properties in Harrow have been targeted with red paint in the latest incident of a mysterious form of vandalism that has been reported across London and other parts of the country.
Properties on Headstone Road were targeted in the early hours on Tuesday 25 August, with black paint thrown or splashed across parts of the buildings and cars.
In the latest incident, the word “brothel” was painted on properties alongside phone numbers. There is no evidence that the properties targeted have any connection to the allegations being daubed on them.
The Met Police are aware of the incident and are looking into the circumstances.
It is not the first time similar vandalism has been reported in Harrow this summer.
Previous incident at Eastman Village
Back in June, properties at Eastman Village, the large development off Harrow View on the former Kodak site, were also targeted with red paint.
The latest incident on Headstone Road means Harrow has now seen at least two separate instances of similar vandalism within a matter of months.
It is not currently known whether the two Harrow incidents are connected, and there has been no confirmed explanation for why the properties were targeted.
Similar attacks reported across London
The unusual vandalism has been reported in several parts of London and elsewhere in England over the last few years.
The Guardian reported in March 2025 that homes had been targeted in Walthamstow, as well as incidents in places including Huddersfield, Bradford and Reading. Police were attempting to establish whether some of the attacks could be linked.
In a number of those incidents, red paint was thrown across the fronts of several neighbouring properties, while words including “brothel” and numbers were also painted onto buildings.
Anonymous notes making similar allegations have also reportedly been pushed through the doors of neighbouring homes.
However, residents affected by some of the attacks stressed there was no evidence to support the claims being made about the properties.
Police have investigated possible links
The mystery has continued into 2026.
The Standard reported in April that numerous red paint attacks had taken place in London since 2023, with Waltham Forest particularly affected.
At the time, the Metropolitan Police said officers investigating incidents there were working on the assumption that there could be a link with similar attacks in Acton, Ealing and elsewhere.
Properties have also been targeted in Kilburn, West Hampstead, St John’s Wood and other parts of the capital.
Various theories have been suggested about why the paint is being used, including speculation surrounding organised crime, intimidation and debt collection. However, police have not established a confirmed motive behind the wider series of incidents, and there is no evidence at this stage linking the Harrow incidents to any of those theories.
There is also nothing to suggest that allegations made against properties elsewhere in London apply to any of the homes targeted in Harrow.
Second Harrow incident in a matter of months
For residents locally, the latest vandalism on Headstone Road will raise fresh questions after the similar incident at Eastman Village in June.
Anyone who witnessed suspicious activity around Headstone Road on Tuesday 25 August, or who has CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage that could assist, should contact police.
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