Graffiti is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings.
If they are left untouched graffiti can encourage more graffiti, rubbish dumping and anti-social behaviour.
The Council is responsible for removing graffiti from:
Removal of graffiti from telephone boxes, bus shelters, electricity boxes, etc, is the responsibility of the company that owns them.
Graffiti on Cornwall Council Property such as buildings/street furniture/monuments, both offensive or hate-related, or non-offensive needs to be reported here or by email to [email protected].
It is the landowner’s responsibility to clean graffiti on private property. Some tips are included below:
Preventing graffiti
• Quickly removing any graffiti from your property should deter repeat attacks
• Painting your property in mid colour paints instead of very light or very dark colours will be less attractive to the graffiti vandal
• The use of a trellis or climbing plants on walls should discourage graffiti
• Security measures should be used where possible to prevent access to your property
Removing graffiti
• Paint over graffiti
• White spirit or other paint removers might help remove graffiti (follow the manufacturer’s instructions)
• DIY shops often carry a range of graffiti removal products that may provide a solution to small scale graffiti
• Heavy attacks of graffiti may have to be treated by a specialist graffiti removal company. Local companies may be found online or in your local telephone directory
You could nominate a community payback project for cleaning graffiti, decorating a community centre or clearing wasteland by visiting www.gov.uk/nominate-community-payback-project
Historic England provide a specialist guide concerning graffiti on historic buildings and monuments. You can read more about it here.
If you are a local businesses, why not join DISC – the online information-sharing system for crime reduction. It empowers communities to ‘self manage’ low level crime and ASB, and enables police to work with them to deliver a new kind of effective, joined-up community policing. Speak with your local Business Improvement District (BID) to see if there is already a DISC system set up in your area or if it is something your town could join up to.
There are many private companies that offer advice and professional graffiti removal and prevention services. An online search will provide you with the details for local providers and their tips for graffiti removal and prevention.
