Graffiti bill tops £100m every year

The cost of cleaning up graffiti in London is now over £100 million a year, a new report reveals today.

That figure has risen dramatically in the last five years to become a "blight" on the capital.

The report - by the Greater London Authority - says: "Graffiti is degrading streets, houses, offices, buses and trains."

Promising a new onslaught against the graffiti vandals, Andrew Pelling, chairman of the report committee, said: "All Londoners have a role to play in ensuring that graffiti is removed from the capital.

"The growing costs encountered by the taxpayer and the impact on London's economy means vital cash is not being used to improve public services."

London Underground alone has to spend up to ? 10 million a year replacing glass on trains, plus station and trackside graffiti.

Bus company Arriva reported that from a fleet of 25 new buses 85 windows had been etched with graffiti after just one month.

Mr Pelling said: "Standards in London for combating graffiti are way below those best practices adopted in other countries and vary dramatically across boroughs."

Commenting on the report, Mayor Ken Livingstone said: "I am addressing the problem through Capital Standard, my cleaner-streets campaign.

"Borough performance on street cleaning, including levels of graffiti and flyposting, will be measured annually."

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