Graffiti

What is graffiti and why is it a problem?

'Graffiti' refers to any drawings, scribbles, messages or 'tags' that are painted, written or carved on walls and other surfaces. 

Graffiti is vandalism and it's become a really expensive problem. Removing graffiti costs the UK over £1 billion a year. We and other agencies have to remove graffiti from walls, street furniture, telephone boxes, bus shelters, monuments and even gravestones.

Graffiti is

• Illegal - and clearing it up costs tax payer's money
• Unsightly - graffiti is a sign of a neglected neighbourhood and is associated with increased levels of crime and the fear of crime. It also discourages investment and new businesses from moving into the area

What can I do about graffiti?

Report it!

Click here to report graffiti online or call the 24 hour hotline on 020 7525 2000. We can remove graffiti if it's either

• Offensive (e.g. contains language or images that are racist, homophobic, express religious intolerance or anything else that could be described as offensive)
• On council owned property (e.g. public buildings, monuments, subways, parks etc.)

Report graffiti vandals

If you know someone who repeatedly vandalises property with graffiti, you can report it to us using the reporting form and phone number above. You could receive a £1000 reward - see below for more information about our anti-graffiti campaigns.

If you see someone writing or painting graffiti, do not approach them - what they're doing is illegal, they don't want to get caught and could be dangerous. Instead, make a note of what you remember about the incident and report it to us.

Graffiti on private property

If you'd like us to remove graffiti from your property, please contact us using the details at the bottom of the page. We can only remove graffiti from private property if it faces the public highway and we have written permission from the property owner. Click here to download a disclaimer form (37kb).

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Once you have signed and returned it to us, we can remove the graffiti free of charge. If the graffiti does not face the public highway, our specialist teams will still be happy to do the job for you but will have to make a small charge. If this is of interest, please get in touch with us for a quote.

What does Southwark Council do about graffiti?

Graffiti removal

Southwark council receives around 100 complaints about graffiti every month. We also respond to reports of graffiti from our own street cleansing teams, the Southwark Wardens and the Street Leaders. In order to deal with graffiti more quickly, we've doubled the size of our graffiti removal teams and now deal with 96% of graffiti reports within 24 hours - that's 17% better than 2003. 

Our Street Leaders help to remove graffiti too. They are trained and supplied with mini graffiti removal kits for removing small amounts of graffiti from lamp columns, street signs and other public property. Click here for more information about Street Leaders.

Prosecution and prevention

Those caught causing graffiti can be prosecuted under the Criminal Damage Act 1971. Those found guilty can be fined up to £5000. Young offenders may be given a community service order.

In 2003 we launched a poster campaign in the Lordship Lane area and through the South London Press targeting persistent 'taggers'. These are people who graffiti the same image repeatedly across a neighbourhood, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage. We're offering a £1000 reward to anyone who gives information to us about these taggers that leads to a prosecution.  

The poster campaign has led to a noticeable drop in the amount of 'tagging' graffiti reported in the area.

Contact us

Southwark cleaning team
Tel: 020 7525 2000
environment@southwark.gov.uk 
Environment and leisure
Manor Place Depot
30-34 Penrose Street
London
SE17 3DW