A Cardiff teenager has been ordered to clean up his own graffiti after being arrested for criminal damage.
Over recent months the tag SPEC has appeared on fences, garages, signs and parks across Ely and Canton causing concern among the community and leading to complaints at Pact meeting.
Now following enquiries, an 18-year-old from Caerau has admitted being responsible for the graffiti and has been issued with a conditional caution.
He has two months to clean up the tag from 27 identified locations and will be charged to court if he fails to complete the task.
Sergeant Richie Weber, from Ely Police Station, said:
“Over the last two or three months the tag SPEC has been sprayed on property across Ely and Canton.
“This was a concern to the community and we are glad that the person responsible has apologised and agreed to clean up the damage.”
The 18-year-old will be supplied with cleaning materials to remove the graffiti effectively.
It is estimated that the tag has already been cleaned up by the Cardiff Council graffiti team or members of the public from many other locations.
Sergeant Weber added:
“Graffiti is criminal damage which can affect quality of life, increase fear of crime in some areas and reduce pride in a community. This will not be tolerated and we work in partnership with the council to tackle this issue.
“Writing graffiti is a criminal offence and anyone who is caught committing such an offence will be dealt with quickly, efficiently and appropriately.”
A conditional caution differs from a simple caution in that the person must comply with certain conditions to receive the caution and to avoid prosecution for the offence they have committed.
It is not a criminal conviction but is recorded on the police database and may be considered in court for any future offences.
