Council invests £2m in crackdown on graffiti after 4,141 cases reported

A council is investing £2million to crack down on rising cases of graffiti.

Westminster council’s waste contractor, Veolia, runs three teams, seven days a week to tackle graffiti in the borough.  

Offensive graffiti is removed within 12 hours from the moment it’s reported, and other types of graffiti are cleaned within three days. 

Around 80 to 100 cleaning jobs are undertaken every week by these teams, totalling around 400 each month.

Last year there were 4,141 graffiti cases reported in Westminster last year, with the Soho, St James’s and the West End areas seeing the highest number of cases.

In response, the council is investing £2million in measures to tackle this antisocial behaviour, including a new cleaning van with a generator and water tank dedicated to cleaning graffiti and deep cleaning of pavements.

Cllr Max Sullivan, Westminster council Cabinet Member for Streets, said: “At Westminster council we’re committed to keeping our streets clean and safe. 

“Adding another deep cleaning vehicle to our arsenal means we’ll be able to remove graffiti even more quickly.

“Help us by reporting graffiti on public property or street furniture to us.”

Pictured top: Veolia teams cleaning graffiti in Westminster (Picture: Westminster council)