YOUNG graffiti vandals who blight the city with their scrawls face a hard-hitting clampdown on the sale of aerosol spray paints to underage buyers.

Shop assistants and their bosses are being warned they risk fines of up to £2,500 for selling the product to under 16s in the first campaign of its kind in York.

Trading Standards officers are behind the drive to educate retailers about the law. Legal action is on the cards for those who break it.

Matt Boxall, principle trading standards officer, said they were working with the police and Safer York Partnership to tackle the problem of graffiti which costs the council "considerable" sums to clean up.

He said all shops selling spray paint would receive advice and guidance on preventing sales to under 16s before test purchases get under way.

"We follow very close guidelines on test purchasing exercises to ensure shopkeepers are not 'tricked' into selling something they wouldn't otherwise have sold."

Jane Mowat, director of Safer York Partnership, said: "Tackling graffiti is a major part of our work which we undertake to reduce anti-social behaviour in the city.

"If we can make it very difficult for young people to get hold of the spray paint in the first place that means we are more likely to have success in reducing their ability to graffiti."

She said the problem tended to be wide-spread across York although hot spot areas include Stonebow and many underpasses.

"The main thing is to use all the powers we possibly can to tackle the problem from every angle - clean it immediately to reduce the incentive to put it there and reduce the chance to get it in the first place.

"We are also closely monitoring the tags and publicising them widely to catch the criminal."

Sergeant Richard Crinnion, of York Police, said the fresh drive by Trading Standards was "good news."

He led the graffiti-busting 'taggers' campaign, backed by the Evening Press, which top Crimestoppers boss Detective Sergeant Ian Frogget hailed as "the most successful" of its kind in the country.

Five people have been arrested and two teenage vandals dealt with by the courts since the Press launched "turn in a tagger" earlier this year.

The blitz urged residents to help officers identify the hands behind graffiti "tags" - the unsightly signatures vandals use to identify their work.

:: What is the law on the sale of aerosols?

It is a criminal offence to sell an aerosol paint container - ie spray paint stored under pressure - to anyone under the age of 16 even if they look older.

The owner of the business, as well as the actual seller, may be liable if spray paint is sold to someone underage.

The maximum penalty for breaching the law which bans these sales is £2,500 for each offence.

The law specifically applies to 'aerosol paint containers' but other instruments are also used in graffiti such as large marker pens.

Retailers who sell such products are urged not to sell them to young people if they suspect they may be misused.

Anyone who knows the identity of a tagger can phone Crimestoppers, for free and in confidence, on 0800 555 111. Adult vandals could face a prison sentence of up to three months, or a fine of up to £2,500 where less than £5,000 of damage is caused. More serious offences can result in a jail term of up to ten years.

Retailers are advised to:

Ensure age-restricted products are clearly identified with age limits

Train staff and regularly remind them about the law. Keep records of training.

Ensure your staff know how to refuse under-age purchases

Have a clear policy if in doubt about someone's age such as taking a 'no ID, no sale' approach

Keep a record when staff refuse sales and monitor its usage to ensure all sales staff are vigilant

Updated: 10:04 Tuesday, July 26, 2005