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Getting graffiti and flyposters removed
Graffiti and flyposting are illegal, spoil both public and private property and can be very costly to remove. Flyposting is the unauthorised placing of advertising - usually posters or stickers. You can report graffiti and flyposting to your council.
Graffiti and flyposting fines
Graffiti are words or drawings, that are written, painted, sprayed or scratched on the surface of any property.
Flyposters usually advertise or promote events and are placed without permission of the owner of the property and can take the form of stickers, signs or posters. Councils take flyposting seriously - when you report flyposting, your council will make enquiries into the source of the advertisements and take action if possible.
Graffiti and flyposting are both criminal offences carrying large fines given out by a magistrate, or up to £80 fixed penalty notice issued by the local authority or police. If you see any one doing graffiti or flyposting, you should report it to your local council or the police.
Responsibility for removing graffiti and flyposting
Your local council is usually responsible for removing graffiti from public buildings, street furniture or monuments as well as removing flyposters.
Other items such as telephone boxes, bus shelters and electricity boxes are the responsibility of the company that has placed them there.
However, the local authority does have a power to issue a 'defacement removal notice' to the property owner, which requires them to remove the graffiti or flyposting within 28 days. If they fail to do so, the local authority can do the work themselves and recover the costs.
Your local council cannot remove graffiti or flyposting from private households and other private property without the owner's permission. However, many offer a free or subsidised service to assist the removal.
Reporting problems to your council
If you are affected by graffiti or flyposting or you see it on property nearby, you can report it to your council which will be able to advise what steps can be taken to remove it.
The following links will let you enter details of where you live and then take you to your local authority website where you can find out more and report graffiti or flyposting problems.
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