Graffiti
Received: 5 December 2025
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request information relating to graffiti removal within your local authority area.Please could you provide:1.Annual expenditure specifically attributable to graffiti removal (or graffiti-related vandalism removal) for each of the last five financial years (or the most recent years held).2.Number of recorded graffiti incidents for each of those same years.3.Whether graffiti removal is separately budgeted/recorded, or included within a broader street-cleansing/environmental maintenance contract.4.Any trend data or commentary indicating whether expenditure is rising, falling, or broadly consistent.If exact figures are not held, estimates or the closest available equivalent data would be greatly appreciated.________________________________________Context (for clarity - not part of the statutory request)I am undertaking national research to support proposed UK-wide policy change aimed at significantly reducing graffiti vandalism.At present, councils are forced to spend millions addressing the consequences, while the root cause remains freely supplied ' spray-paint products with no meaningful retail control, despite being the primary tool used in this criminal damage.To draw a parallel:We don't reduce gun crime by offering free wet wipes to the victims ' we reduce harm by controlling the weapons.Likewise, continued large-scale spending on graffiti removal, without tackling access to the materials used to commit it, is a long-term cost madness. A sensible approach would benefit both residents and councils:✔ Less graffiti✔ Much lower cleaning costs✔ Public spaces protected instead of constantly repairedThe information you provide will help build a strong case for removing the tools from the problem, rather than endlessly funding the cleanup.All data will be used respectfully and in proper context ' showing that councils are doing their best in a situation they did not create.________________________________________If any part of this request requires clarification, please let me know as soon as possible.Thank you for your time ' and for the enormous effort your teams make to keep our communities clean and welcoming.
Outcome / Documents
- Response (all information to be supplied) - application/pdf - Download