What to do about graffiti

Removing graffiti and tagging in public places

Graffiti is anything that is written, sprayed or painted in public places on public or private property. This can include text, images or other kinds of graffiti and street art. 

Tagging is a type of graffiti where a name or symbol is written, sprayed or painted and is often repeated in different locations. It is a major issue in Brighton & Hove. 

Graffiti tagging action plan 2024 lays out how we are tackling this.

All types of graffiti, tagging and street art are illegal without permission.

The council is only responsible for the removal of graffiti on its own property, and of offensive graffiti in public places.

Offensive graffiti, tagging and street art contains words or pictures which are:

• hate comments

• extremist sentiment

• anti-faith

• swear words  

If there is offensive graffiti, tagging or street art in public places, our street cleaning team will come and remove or paint over it.

We aim to remove offensive graffiti or tagging within 24 hours of it being reported to us. 

Tell us about offensive graffiti or tagging if you see it.

We are also responsible for removing graffiti and tagging on council property and street furniture, including buildings, benches, signs and street lights.

If you are in a resident or community group, find out how we can help you to paint over graffiti.

Graffiti on private property

If graffiti or tagging on private property is offensive, let us know and we'll remove it.

If it isn't offensive, we can provide advice, but you will need to contact a private company to remove it. 

If you want to prevent and remove graffiti from private property, you could:

• apply an uneven wall surface like pebble dash or flint work
• cover your wall in trellis, iron work or climbing plants
• paint your own mural on your wall
• keep spare paint for walls - painting over graffiti is the best way of stopping problems
• paint over a whole wall, not just the section - walls with patches of paint often get graffitied again

Graffiti on statutory undertakers’ furniture

We are not responsible for removing graffiti or fly postings from bus stops, train stations, railway bridges, underpasses, telephone boxes, post boxes or street cabinets.

• for train stations and other railway property such as bridges, please phone Network Rail at 0345 711 4141
• for bus stops please phone Brighton & Hove buses at 01273 886200
• for telephone boxes please phone BT at 0800 661 610
• for post boxes please phone Royal Mail at 03457 740 740
• for Virgin Media street cabinets phone Virgin Media at 0330 333 0444
• for BT (Openreach) street cabinets phone BT at 0800 023 2023

More information

Find out what else the council is doing to tackle graffiti. 

Environmental Enforcement Framework