Graffiti tag ‘Tuna’ blighting Ashton-on-Ribble

The tag on the wall of a property in Ashton

A spate of graffiti across a number of roads in Ashton-on-Ribble is being tackled by the city council.

Tagged ‘Tuna’ the coloured paint has been sprayed on a number of walls of homes, bridges and other structures in a number of roads.

One angry resident, who asked not to be named, has sent pictures to Preston City Council and expressed his disgust at the actions.

He said: “We need to be taking better care of these roads.

“I was going along and it’s a blight on our city seeing this everywhere.

“It’s always the same tag so I hope they catch whoever is doing this.”

The tag in different colours has been appearing in Tulketh Brow, Stocks Road and Waterloo Road.

The city council confirmed they have begun clearing the tag off various public walls, and have been scrubbing it since last week.

Each hour spent removing graffiti costs the city council around £35 per hour for man hours and materials.

A council spokeswoman said: “Residents don’t like to see graffiti, which ultimately costs the tax payers money for us to remove. Anyone reporting graffiti incidents are asked to provide a specific location.”

How to report graffiti

You can log graffiti using an online form on the city council website.

Or you can call the city council on 01772906909

The city council has already been spending a week tackling the Tuna graffiti

When do the council remove it?

All public buildings, street furniture and monuments are the city council’s responsibility and they will remove the graffiti.

Privately owned properties such as telephone boxes, bus shelters and electricity boxes are the responsibility of its owner.

Graffiti on a private household cannot be removed without the owner’s permission, and the council may give a small charge for this service.

A council spokeswoman said: “When graffiti is reported to us we aim to clear it as soon as possible. Any graffiti which is classed as racist or offensive in nature should be removed within two working days.

“Graffiti removal is normally free for domestic property and public owned areas or buildings. There may be a charge for repeat removal or removal from commercial property.”

What is the penalty for graffiti?

Graffiti is a criminal offence and comes with a fixed penalty notice of £80. It can also lead to arrest with large fines or imprisonment if the matter goes to court.