Call for action against 'Graffiti Plague'

12.00.00am GMT Mon 24th Mar 2008

Denise Reaney, Local Liberal Democrat Councillor for Gleadless Valley Ward, has been inundated with complaints from concerned local residents.

A local Liberal Democrat councillor is calling for action to tackle a recent 'graffiti plague' that has blighted the Heeley and Meersbrook area of Sheffield. In recent weeks dozens of bits of graffiti have appeared on bus shelters, cable and phone boxes as well as buildings across a wide area.

Denise Reaney, Local Liberal Democrat Councillor for Gleadless Valley Ward, has been inundated with complaints from concerned local residents. Denise has asked the Council to clean the graffiti as soon as possible. Cllr Reaney has also been working with the local police and local residents to try and identify the culprits.

Liberal Democrats believe that the recent spate in criminal damage is unacceptable. They have highlighted the issue as proof that, despite claims from the Labour controlled Council, the yobs that blight our communities are still not being tackled effectively.

Cllr Denise Reaney, local Liberal Democrat Councillor for Gleadless Valley Ward, said: -

"Labour councillors boast that they are beating the yobs. But people in Meersbrook and Heeley tell me they have never seen graffiti as bad as this. It seems to me that rather than tackling crime all Labour are doing is moving it from one place to another and back again."

"I have been in contact with Street Force and the Police to try and get our local area cleaned up and also identify the culprits. It might only be a small handful of people who are committing this crime, but the effect they are having on the general appearance of our local area is unacceptable."

"Rather than moving crime around is vital that we tackle the underlying reasons why these people have got nothing better to do other than spoiling the local environment for everyone else."