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Graffiti & flyposting
To report graffiti online please click here.
The effects of anti-social behaviour are most visible when the results of that behaviour ruin public places such as shopping precincts, parks, playgrounds, town centres or railway stations. Graffiti and fly-posters are unsightly, they downgrade our environment, and make it look dirty and neglected.
Graffiti is criminal damage under the Criminal Damage Act 1971 (section 1).
If the value of criminal damage exceeds £5,000:
- the maximum custodial penalty for those aged 18 or over is 10 years imprisonment,
- the maximum custodial penalty for those aged 12-17 is a detention and training order of up to 24 months.
If the value of the damage is less than £5,000:
- the maximum sentence for those aged 18 or over is three months imprisonment or a fine of £2,500.
- For those aged 12-17 there is no custodial provision. A range of community sentences are available to the court such as Reparation Orders and the Final Warning Scheme.
If the graffiti offence is minor:
- A fixed penalty notice of £50 may be issued for minor graffiti offences.
Fly posting is the posting of stickers, posters and other advertising without the consent of the owner of the property. Street furniture in particular is afflicted. Fly posting is an offence under s224(3) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA)and the Highways Act 1980, making it a criminal offence to display an advertisement in contravention of regulations. Advertisers can be fined up to £2,500 on conviction for this offence and, in the case of a continuing offence, £100 per day after a conviction. The individual who physically affixes the fly poster (rather than the advertised business) may be issued with a fixed penalty notice. Posters can be removed by the local authority without notice from highways.
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