GRAFFITI VANDAL CAUGHT RED-HANDED

The other month a graffiti vandal was left red-faced after he was caught red-handed defacing property - by a top Council Enforcement Manager conducting a graffiti audit! The offender, who is 17, was attempting to mark his tag or ‘graffiti-signature’ on an NTL box on Brettenham Road, Chapel End ward.
Little did he know that Gareth Jones, the borough’s top Enforcement Manager for Environment Services, was only a few feet away conducting Waltham Forest’s borough-wide Graffiti audit as part of Waltham Forest’s anti-graffiti strategy.
Gareth Jones, Enforcement Manager for Environmental Services said; “It was quite ironic that I was on the look out for graffiti and then stood next to a graffiti vandal in the act. I couldn’t believe my eyes - it was broad daylight and he just started defacing property with his marker in public”. “He was embarrassed when I stopped him, and he seemed genuinely shocked when I explained to him who I was and that I was conducting a graffiti audit for the Council”.
The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will now sign an acceptable behaviour contract (ABC) and will receive an official
warning in the presence of his parents and a police officer. Should a further offence be committed, the matter will be referred for an ASBO.
Cabinet Member for the Environment, Cllr Bob Belam said;
“Well done to Gareth - he certainly was in the right place at the right time. Hopefully this foolish individual will think twice in future about vandalising property and damaging our environment”.
“We’re really trying to clean-up Waltham Forest and the enforcement guys and anti-graffiti teams are doing a fantastic job day-in day-out to make this a reality. The residents of our borough have been supportive and we are very happy with the response. It’s just a shame that there are still people out there that think this sort of behaviour is ok - but we are making progress”.