GRAFFITI is costing City of York Council up to £1,000 a week to remove from public buildings.

In the past few weeks the Museum Gardens, the Norwich Union building and residential streets across the city have all been blighted by graffiti tags.

Trading Standards officers are this week writing to all traders who are known to sell spray paints in the city to remind them of the law relating to underage sales of aerosol paints - which can lead to a £2,500 fine.

Matt Boxall, trading standards manager, said: "Over recent months we have seen an increase in graffiti across the city.

"We have therefore written to traders, reminding them of the law relating to under-age sales and have provided them with recommendations for good practice to help them avoid selling paint to under-age customers.

"We will also continue to run test purchase operations where we ask youngsters to attempt to buy spray paints from businesses to check that they are abiding by the law."

The £1,000 clean-up cost does not include the additional costs picked up by owners to remove graffiti from private dwellings and offices.

The issue will also be brought under the spotlight this week, when senior partnership representatives from the city council, North Yorkshire Police, the Probation Service, the Youth Offending Team and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service get together at the launch of Safer York Partnership's Anti-Social Behaviour Steering Group, which aims to co-ordinate action to clamp down on the minority whose nuisance behaviour brings misery to many residents in the city.

Jane Mowat, director of Safer York Partnership, said: "The aim of the new steering group is to minimise anti-social behaviour across the city while ensuring that swift and effective action is taken when it does occur.

"York is a beautiful city and we all have a duty to ensure it remains that way. We would ask anyone who has any information about those causing the graffiti to contact the police."

Any damage to property by graffiti is a criminal offence, even if the damage is not permanent.

If the value of the criminal damage exceeds £5,000, there is a maximum jail sentence of ten years for those aged 18 or over.

A sentence of three months in prison and a fine of up to £2,500 can be handed out for damage of less than £5,000.

Offenders aged 12 to 17 risk a detention and training order of up to 24 months.

Safer York Partnership are now compiling a database of graffiti tags and known taggers which they hope will help catch offenders quickly.

Anyone who has any information about those who may be causing the graffiti should phone Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or North Yorkshire Police on 0845 60 60 247.