Anti-social behaviour helper

Summary of the problem

Graffiti are words or drawings, that are written, painted, sprayed or scratched on the surface of any property, such as a wall, building or lamppost. Graffiti can contribute to an area looking rough or rundown and neglected, leading to further anti-social behaviour and where it is racist or hateful in nature, this can be particularly disturbing or upsetting.

Who can you report the problem to

• Report the problem to your council online here at Direct.gov

• Report the problem to your Anti-social Behaviour Coordinator, Team or local Neighbourhood Policing Team. Use our postcode search to find local contact details

• If you are the tenant of a social landlord (the council or a housing association), report it to your landlord

• If graffiti is on your property ask the council, or if you are a social housing tenant, your housing association how best to have it removed. They may provide you with the materials to do so or offer a free or a chargeable removal service

• You can also report the problem to the police using the local force non-emergency number. Find your local number here

If you are unsure what to do or who to speak to, contact your anti-social behaviour team. Use our postcode search to find local contact details. If they are not directly responsible they will be able to help you to find who is.

What can be done to tackle graffiti problems?

Your local council is usually responsible for removing graffiti from public buildings, street furniture or monuments. Removing graffiti from property such as telephone boxes, bus shelters and electricity boxes is the responsibility of the company that has placed them there. Where graffiti is racist or hateful, it will be removed as quickly as possible.

Graffiti is a criminal offence under section 1 of the Criminal Damage Act 1971 and if a person is caught, they can be fined or prosecuted in court. If the graffiti is racist or hateful, the courts have a duty under the Criminal Justice Act 2003, to treat these offences more seriously. You can find out more about the Governments ‘Hate Crime’ action plan online here.

Under section 54 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, it is also illegal to sell spray paints to under 16 year olds. Other powers available include:

• Warning to those causing the problem

• On the spot fines for people caught writing graffiti

• Acceptable behaviour contracts or agreements (ABCs/ABAs) if the problems are ongoing

• Anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs), if the person is persistently causing serious problems, which could stop a person from carrying certain items like spray cans or marker pens

• Fines or prosecutions in court under the Criminal Damage Act 1971

Your local council cannot remove graffiti from private properties without the owner's permission. If you live in rented accommodation, speak to your landlord about how to remove the graffiti.

Whatever action is taken, you should expect to be kept informed.