Well, I found this video. It is indeed dismal and even approaches some of the worst in the US! I was unaware of such areas in London. But there are people all around.
Graffiti is a world wide disease which I cannot understand. We have no blighted areas in San Francisco such as this and other cities in the US, but graffiti has of late been more visible.
Indeed, the country villages in the UK are beautiful beyond description from what I see.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qI-sKmvu0Y
CB