Graffiti and Flyposting
Graffiti and flyposting are both illegal activities. Offenders can be prosecuted either by the local council or by the police, and the court decides on what their penalty will be.
The police also have the power to stop and search members of the public for graffiti or flyposting paraphernalia.
Unsightly graffiti and flyposting can have a number of negative effects on a community. As well as costing a lot of money to remove, they can make streets and other public spaces look neglected, and attract further anti-social behaviour such as vandalism, flytipping and litter.
All of these activities contribute towards the decline of an area and increase the fear of crime among residents.
People may also feel uncomfortable or threatened by the display of offensive (eg racist, sexist or otherwise explicit) material. The atmosphere that this creates also has implications for trade, tourism and investment in the surrounding area.