Back-tracking a backpack and some smart detective work by the local policing team has led to five teenagers from Ledbury receiving cautions for criminal damage after spraying graffiti around the town.
The teenagers – four aged 17 and one age 16 – have admitted spraying buildings at John Masefield High School, Ledbury Cricket Club and at Little Marcle Road - after some good detective work by the local force.
The story began to unfold with a chance discovery by a member of the public, who handed in a backpack found in woodland off the Vet’s Field.
CSO Carol Marsh noticed that the bag had a small graffiti identifying tag drawn on it, while the contents indicated that it belong to a school pupil.
Enquiries with the school confirmed the owner of the bag, who admitted being responsible for the graffiti when challenged by PC Peter Askwith, as did several of his friends who came forward voluntarily to admit that they too had played a part.
“All of this happened as a result of public-spirited person handing in the backpack and shows how the police do need – and get – the co-operation of the community,” said PC Askwith, the Local Police Officer for Ledbury Town.
“We have been aware of a small amount of graffiti in the town recently, and made sure we were familiar with the tags that were being sprayed.
“When CSO Marsh saw that the bag was decorated with one of these tags, that was the breakthrough we needed to be able to identify those responsible.
“When challenged, the bag’s owner readily admitted his responsibility as did several of his friends who then came forward to admit that they too had sprayed the graffiti.
“This was the first time any of them had been in trouble with the police and so they received a caution and some strong words of warning – but they know now that we do take the issue of illegal graffiti spraying seriously and make every effort to identify those responsible.
“If they do cause more criminal damage in this way, they can be assured that they will in future be dealt with through the courts,” he said.
And while the Local Policing Team is keen to make sure those responsible for illegal graffiti spraying are identified and sanctioned, they do recognise that graffiti can be a legitimate and creative art form when undertaken in the correct way.
During half term a free graffiti workshop for young people was run at Ledbury Youth Centre, largely funded by the local police.
“We certainly don’t want to stifle young people’s creativity and have helped to provide the facilities for them to do that properly – so there really can be no excuses for painting unlawful graffiti elsewhere around the town,” said PC Askwith.
