An artist paid by the BBC to add authenticity to Albert Square in EastEnders was actually the leader of a highly-organised graffiti gang, a court was told yesterday.

Andrew Gillman, 25, was the “main mover” of the DPM Crew as it carried out graffiti attacks on trains and stations in Britain and during cross-Channel expeditions, Southwark Crown Court was told.

The court heard that six months ago Gillman went to work for the BBC under a false name, after the producers of EastEnders decided that the set needed some genuine graffiti.

Soon afterwards viewers saw 11 examples of his handiwork on locations including the stall outside Kathy’s Café, Peter Beale’s fish and chip shop, Phil Mitchell’s workshop, the Argee Bhajee Indian restaurant, and the entrance to Walford East Tube station. The graffiti featured the name of his “crew”, DPM, his own tag “NEAS” and “MOOD”, apparently a tribute or “shout” to James Dutka, a dead graffiti artist, the court was told.

David Durose, for the prosecution, said: “Shortly before Christmas 2007, Gillman gained casual employment with the BBC. He was employed under the false name Eddie Jones . . . by the art department for the EastEnders series to assist them in decorating the outdoor set for that programme, which is not in the East End at all, but part of the BBC’s studios in Elstree [Hertfordshire].

“He tagged ‘NEAS’, ‘DPM’ and references to ‘MOODY’ all over the EastEnders set. If you watch that programme, you may well have seen them in the background.”

The barrister told jurors that, apart from evidence of their activities in this country, there was also substantial material concerning the gang’s excursions to Amsterdam and Paris. Two graffiti writers from the French capital were even found to have been invited on an “exchange visit” to London to demonstrate their talents. As well as allegedly incriminating videos and mobile phone records recovered by the police, a Czech newspaper article is said to have been found in one gang member’s home.

Newspapers carried interviews with Paul Stewart, an alleged gang member, and others about how they had attended a “graffiti workshop” in the Czech Republic to teach “young fans of street art how to use spray paints”.

Gillman, from Wandsworth Common, southwest London, and seven others have already admitted conspiracy to cause criminal damage. However, Mr Stewart, 26, from Lewisham, southeast London, denies conspiracy to commit criminal damage between January 1, 2004, and June 28, 2006.

Mr Durose said: “From 2004 up until the defendants’ arrests in 2006, this group, who called themselves the DPM Crew, caused frequent and substantial damage to trains, railway rolling stock and other infrastructure.”

Although the gang was mainly active in South London there was evidence of acts of vandalism in South-port, Liverpool, Manchester and during a “graffiti away weekend” on the private East Somerset railway line and on the Sunderland metro system, he said. Paris and Amsterdam also fell victim to the gang’s activities.

Mr Durose said that Gillman “was the main mover or organiser behind the DPM Crew. Indeed, very little DPM activity did not involve him.” The court heard that the sheer volume of the gang’s attacks drew their activities to police attention. After officers managed to connect “particular tags to particular people”, they put some members under surveillance.

Asked by Graham Cooke, for the defence, to issue jurors with the standard direction about not seeking further information about the case on the internet, Judge Christopher Hardy asked the barrister: “Do you want me to mention EastEnders as well?”

He then added: “I don’t think Mr Cooke is asking you not to watch EastEnders until the end of the trial.”

The trial was adjourned until today.

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