The high-profile campaign to kick graffiti off Sutton's streets is proving a resounding success, according to council and police chiefs.

While the council has reported cuts in clean up requests from residents since the start of the year, police have received fewer complaints about the scourge of Sutton's public and private property.

Both bodies are attributing the cuts to "Don't be tagged for life graffiti is a crime", the campaign to clean up Sutton's streets which kicked off in March. Between January and May, monthly clean up requests dipped from 99 to 55, while police complaints dropped from 39 to 26 per month during the same time.

The campaign led by the council, police and London General Buses has combined preventative measures, such as blitzing schools with anti-graffiti leaflets and getting hardware shops to agree not to sell spray paints to young people.

Police have arrested 18 people for graffiti offences since the campaign began and some youths have been served with reparation orders, where they are forced to meet their victims and clean up their tags.

Chief Inspector Warren Shadbolt said: "While we should not be complacent, I am pleased that this highly successful partnership initiative has led to a significant reduction in the number of incidents of graffiti."

Call the graffiti hotline on 020 8770 6055.

July 8, 2002 10:00