Warning of crackdown on graffiti

Peterborough has spent more than £150,000 removing graffiti

Graffiti vandals causing hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage every year in Cambridgeshire are being targeted in a new crackdown.

Words, pictures and names scratched on walls and buildings are being treated as criminal damage by police.

"Graffiti has a significant impact on the image of the area, increases the fear of crime and undermines pride in the local community," a spokesman said.

Businesses, local people and schools are asked to help with prosecutions.

Aerosol sale warning

"Offenders are brought before the courts, but prosecutions can be difficult and police require the public's help to bring successful convictions," he said.

Peterborough City Council has spent more than £150,000 over recent months to clean graffiti off buildings.

But the campaign is not being confined to the north of the county.

There are campaigns under way to target offenders across Cambridgeshire as well as schemes involving schools and businesses to prevent graffiti before it happens.

Shopkeepers are also being warned and spoken to because "it is illegal for a business to sell aerosol paint to anyone under 16", the spokesman said.