Graffiti
Graffiti on public land
Graffiti is a criminal offence punishable with possible imprisonment and fines that reflect the real cost of the damage caused. These fines can run into thousands of pounds.
In the event of prosecution, serial ‘taggers’ can be fined a sum that takes into account all incidences for which they are proven responsible, not just the offence for which they were initially apprehended.
We have a specialist reactive team that has been trained to remove graffiti or fly-posting quickly and efficiently from your neighbourhood. We have the most up-to-date equipment and materials to remove graffiti effectively and with minimum impact on the environment.
Our area-based street cleansing teams are also equipped with environmentally friendly graffiti wipes to deal with small-scale graffiti they find while carrying out their routine work. Graffiti wipes are also used by the council’s Neighbourhood Wardens to deal with easily removable graffiti they come across during their patrols.
Wipes can be issued on request to individuals and groups within the local community keen to keep their neighbourhood clean.
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We aim to deal with racist, obscene or ‘hate crime’ graffiti within one working day of report. Other types of graffiti will be removed within two weeks.
Please note: At a few appropriate locations, the city council has permitted local artists and young people to produce attractive murals or ‘street art’ in areas or on buildings that have previously acted as ‘graffiti magnets’.
This approach has been demonstrated to minimise subsequent damage and enhance perceptions of public safety.
Graffiti on private land
The council does not have the funding or resources to deal with reports of graffiti on private or commercial property as part of the core service. We can however advise affected owners or businesses on the measures they need to take to quickly resolve the problem.
If your own property has been targeted by graffiti vandals, we recommend that you report this to the police as an incidence of criminal damage. Make sure you obtain a crime reference number and check with your insurer to see if criminal damage is covered under the terms of your buildings insurance policy.
Private property owners or businesses can request assistance from the city council’s specialist graffiti removal team by contacting us via our form.
Before you fill in this form
You won't be able to save this form to complete later, so please allow yourself at least five minutes to fill in the form.
Report graffiti on utility company property
Graffiti on utility company property such as BT or Virgin Media boxes or on structures such as bus shelters or railway bridges should be reported directly to the company responsible for the asset rather than the council.
- Virgin Media street cabinets - phone 0330 333 0444
- BT (Openreach) street cabinets - phone 0800 023 2023
