Council rules graffiti "not offensive enough" to remove, What is and what isnt "too offensive"? Options

[Mark NWN]

http://www.newburytoday.co.uk/News/Article...articleID=13634

WEST Berkshire Council left a piece of graffiti depicting male genitalia up for three months after officers deemed it not offensive enough to remove.
After making several pleas to the district council to clean up a defaced bus shelter on School Hill, in Chaddleworth, which had been daubed with vulgar artwork in March, Chaddleworth Parish Council this week received a written response from the district council which said: “Unfortunately, as it is not classed as 'offensive' it does not take priority and is removed by the Probation Service as and when they carry out work in the area.
“They have a significant amount of non offensive graffiti to remove in the district and it was unfortunate that they did not get out to your village to remove the small amount you have on the last couple of occasions they have worked in West Berkshire.”
The district council finally relented after repeated requests from the parish council, and sent a private contractor to paint over the scene yesterday (Wednesday) morning.
Spokesman for West Berkshire Council Keith Ulyatt said: “There is no sliding scale of what is deemed offensive and what is not, but something that is racially offensive or sexually offensive does get prioritised and removed immediately.
“The incident in question was not seen as offensive at the time and was not prioritised.”

What do you make of this?

Pictures fine but words not allowed?

Where do you draw the line (excuse the pun)?

[Mark NWN]

How big was the picture of the genitalia?

No exaggerating, please.

According to the person who reported it, it was a fairly prominent image

It's hard for us non-Chaddleworthians to make a judgment whether it's offensive or not when the NWN doesn't publish a picture.

We are the eyes and ears of the public in certain situations but we rely on you guys to come to us with stuff like this too, a picture would have been helpful obviously but I was only informed of it the day it was cleared up.
Which leads me to my next question, what is the situation like in your area? If graffiti appears does it get cleared up fairly quickly? Do you have any examples of "offensive" graffiti near you? If so take a pic and send it to me mark.taylor@newburynews.co.uk

[misc]

If graffiti appears does it get cleared up fairly quickly? Do you have any examples of "offensive" graffiti near you? If so take a pic and send it to me mark.taylor@newburynews.co.uk

I've phoned the council twice to report the same piece of graffiti. On both occasions I was told that it "should be dealt with within a couple of weeks". Which it wasn't. Eventually I gave up (just like I gave up trying to get the council/Veolia to collect my recycling). This was around two years ago and the graffiti is still there.

[user23]

I've phoned the council twice to report the same piece of graffiti. On both occasions I was told that it "should be dealt with within a couple of weeks". Which it wasn't. Eventually I gave up (just like I gave up trying to get the council/Veolia to collect my recycling). This was around two years ago and the graffiti is still there.

Hang on. It's been there two years and no one from the community has bothered to do anything about it bar phone the council? In fairness the council shouldn't have said they'd clean it up if what this person claims they said is correct but still. Two years and not one local person has taken a cloth and a bit of solvent to it.

In the brave new world of the Coalition I can see tasks like this being handed over to volunteer neighbourhood action groups and the like to save a few pennies. After all, cleaning off a willy, drawn on a bus shelter is hardly up there with safeguarding children and caring for the elderly.

[GMR]

Hang on. It's been there two years and no one from the community has bothered to do anything about it bar phone the council? In fairness the council shouldn't have said they'd clean it up if what this person claims they said is correct but still. Two years and not one local person has taken a cloth and a bit of solvent to it.

In the brave new world of the Coalition I can see tasks like this being handed over to volunteer neighbourhood action groups and the like to save a few pennies. After all, cleaning off a willy, drawn on a bus shelter is hardly up there with safeguarding children and caring for the elderly.

It is not the responsibility of the citizen to clean up after yobs. That is down to the council. Also; if such graffiti is found and reported then it is the duty of the police to find out who the culprits are and act; i.e. make them either clean it up, or get them or their parents to pay for the cleanup.

What good would it have done if such a person had cleaned it up? Another yob would come along and do the same. Then what?

[dannyboy]

It is not the responsibility of the citizen to clean up after yobs. That is down to the council. Also; if such graffiti is found and reported then it is the duty of the police to find out who the culprits are and act; i.e. make them either clean it up, or get them or their parents to pay for the cleanup.

What good would it have done if such a person had cleaned it up? Another yob would come along and do the same. Then what?

You are wrong. Apathy breeds contempt.

[GMR]

You are wrong. Apathy breeds contempt.

The trouble is apathy is all around us.