A PROLIFIC graffiti vandal has been snared by police – as officers vow anyone caught daubing “tags” on buildings around York could face jail.

Daniel Nicholson, 18, of Wigginton, who has a history of graffiti damage across the city, has been given an Anti-Social Behaviour Order – the first time an ASBO has been used this way in the city – after being found guilty of eight counts of graffiti damage to both public and private property.

He is now banned from being in possession of any spray paint, aerosol paints or marker pens in a public place within the boundaries of the City Of York Council – as it was revealed graffiti removal was costing the authority up to £2,000 a week.

If Nicholson, 18, of Barley View, Wigginton, is found to be in breach of his ASBO he could face up to five years in prison.

His tags were found throughout the city, on buildings including Barnitt’s, a wall in Marygate, the outside of a riverside house in Huntington Road and Stonebow House in St Saviourgate. Over the years his tags have been found in about 50 places in the city.

Jane Mowat, director of Safer York Partnership, described tackling graffiti as a “priority”, and said it were determined to catch all those responsible.

“Through close collaborative work between City of York Council, the police and the probation service we are able to identify the culprits, secure prosecutions and remove the damage,” she said.

“This recent case has enabled us to use antisocial behaviour powers to restrict Daniel Nicholson’s opportunity to re-offend, while ensuring he faces severe consequences if he breaches the order.”

She said the city’s online graffiti database, called Taking Action Against Graffiti in York (TAAGY), was a useful tool in catching offenders – and helped snare Nicholson.

TAAGY enables police and other organisations to log details such as the location and design of graffiti tags, helping police investigators to build a picture that could eventually link tags to those who were responsible for creating them.

The site – which has a gallery of 5,000 graffiti tags stored since its launch in 2007 – links images of graffiti taken by police and the council.

PC Jon Hodgeon, of Guildhall Safer Neighbourhood Team, used the TAAGY system to identify the most prolific “tags” in the area, and was able to link Nicholson’s daubings on buildings across the city centre. Anyone who can provide information to prevent graffiti in the city is asked to phone Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.


Plea for a place to paint within the law

DANIEL Nicholson has admitted his daubings have caused “considerable damage” – but has called on the city to provide a place where people can paint graffiti legally.

Speaking to The Press, he said: “I have been in a court a few times because of my graffiti and have had to carry out community service because of it – but what the council does not realise is that to me it is an art form and it is a hobby I have been doing for four years. I cannot just stop it straight away.

“I do admit that I have caused considerable damage to a lot of buildings in York – but I think being made subject to an ASBO was a bit harsh.

“It is unrealistic for the council and police to think that everyone will just stop doing graffiti if they just make the penalties harsher – it is not going to happen.

“I think people need somewhere to express themselves – but in York we have nowhere to do it. Other cities seem more tolerant to graffiti and have places for people to go – here there is nothing.

“There are too harsh views on graffiti, when there are far worse things going on in York to concentrate on.”