Graffiti Laws....

A quick outline from the Home Office on the laws behind graffiti;

Graffiti is criminal damage under the Criminal Damage Act 1971. There are no legal sites for graffiti within the Royal Borough. Those caught in the act of graffiti or with intent to undertake graffiti within the borough will be prosecuted.
If the value of criminal damage exceeds £5,000 the maximum penalty for those aged 18 or over is ten years imprisonment and for those aged 12-17 years the maximum custodial penalty is a detention and training order of up to 24 months.
Where the damage is less than £5,000 the maximum sentence is three months imprisonment or a fine of £2,500 for adult offenders.
An alternative sanction for minor graffiti offences is the issue of a penalty notice. Under the Anti-social Behavior Act 2003 Police Community Support Officers and those persons accredited under the community safety scheme are allowed to issue penalty notices of £50.
Schemes like the recent Home Office 'Name That Tag' offer a reward for information on prolific graffiti writers.