The Environmental Services and Cleansing teams at Waveney District
Council work together to combat graffiti, finding out who is
responsible and trying to get it removed.
Report graffiti online
What is graffiti?
‘Graffiti’ refers to any drawings, scribbles pictures, messages or
tags that are painted, or written on walls and other surfaces. Most
graffiti artists prefer to be called 'writers' and each has their
own unique 'tag'. They have a desire for public recognition and
want to see their work around town.
What do we do about it?
All graffiti on Council property should be cleared within one
working day or reporting. Racist or offensive graffiti should be
cleared within four hours. If the graffiti is on private property,
officers have to follow the proper legal process or get permission
from the owner first, which can sometimes take a couple of
days.
What information can I give to help you
respond?
Providing the Council with accurate information will help officers
respond to swiftly to a report of graffiti:
- The exact location
- Identifying factors, e.g. racist or offensive
People caught causing graffiti can be arrested and prosecuted by
the police under the Criminal Damage Act 1971. Offenders can be
fined up to £5,000.
Local councils have powers to:
- Issue Fixed Penalty Notices (£80) to graffiti artists (as young
as 10yrs).
- Prosecute writers, with fines of up to £1000 for each
offence.
- Serve Graffiti Removal Notices requiring owners of defaced
surfaces to clean them.
- Prosecute shopkeepers for selling spray paint to under-16s
(maximum fine £2,500).
Charges
There is no charge for the removal of graffiti from public
buildings. A charge is made to private owners, typically between
£35 and £70, depending on the extent of the graffiti.
Ways to prevent graffiti
The quicker graffiti is removed, the less likely vandals are to do
it again.
You can prevent graffiti by:
- Planting shrubs or growing climbers up walls and fences, where
possible and suitable will help discourage graffiti vandals.
- Keep a small tin of matching paint to hand to paint out any
graffiti on painted surfaces.
- Consider using anti-graffiti coatings, which are available at
DIY stores.
Why is graffiti a problem?
Graffiti damage the appearance of our streets and public places.
Areas afflicted can appear to be neglected, which in turn, can
discourage others from taking a pride in their surroundings,
leading to further damage to the quality of our environment.
Removal is expensive and can cause damage to decorative or delicate
surfaces like paintwork. Some graffiti can be very offensive,
threatening to groups or individuals or racially abusive. In such
cases, it can cause alarm, harassment and distress.
Download our Graffiti / Flyposting Leaflet (69Kb) (opens new
window)
An audio version of this leaflet is also available - Grafitti /
Flyposting Information Leaflet (mp3 format) (927Kb)
Contact us
You can
report graffiti online or you can contact
Environmental Services:
Email:
Environment@waveney.gov.uk
Telephone: 01502 523117
Write: Town Hall, High Street, Lowestoft NR32
1HS.
You can request the removal of graffiti by contacting the Cleansing
team.
During working hours: (Monday-Friday: 08.30 to 17.00)
Email: operations@waveney.gov.uk
Telephone: 01502 523 468
In person: At any Waveney District Council local
office.
Outside working hours:
Telephone: 01502 523 522
You can also report it as criminal damage to the police.
Consultation
If you have any ideas or suggestions as to how we can improve our
services or the information we have provided, then we would be
pleased to hear from you. The contact information you require is
detailed
above.