Police targeting graffiti suspects

Officers have been alerted to "a number" of people who could be responsible for the vandalism of public and private property.

The information came to light after the Evening Press urged readers to "turn in a tagger" - yobs who daub their signatures on walls and buildings.

A reward of up to £1,000 is on offer for information that leads to the successful prosecution of certain graffiti vandals whose "work" has been highlighted by police.

Sergeant Richard Crinnion, who is helping to run the campaign, said he was pleased with the response so far from members of the public.

He said: "We are actively pursuing a number of interesting lines of inquiry that have been given to us.

"Several names have been suggested to us, some of which are familiar, and we will be looking very closely at their activities.

"But we are still asking anyone who knows who is behind graffiti to contact us for free and in confidence on 0800 555 111.

"They could be in line for a £1,000 reward and we think that is enough to help anyone make that call."

Last week the Evening Press published pictures of the signatures of the "top ten" most prolific taggers in York and appealed to readers to help trace the hands behind the spray cans and indelible pens.

York Police have created a database of distinctive graffiti tags which they hope will help them link offences and target offenders.

Council figures reveal more than 500 graffiti attacks on public property. The figure is believed to show only part of the problem because incidents are often not reported by residents.

The local authority spends tens of thousands of pounds each year cleaning up vandalism attacks on everything from buildings to bridges, street signs and vehicles.

Sergeant Crinnion said: "This is just the beginning of our efforts. We are determined to do everything in our power to stamp out graffiti in York."

Updated: 10:12 Saturday, March 05, 2005