Retailers Heed Spray Paint Warning

The latest in a series of test purchase exercises resulted in a 100% pass rate when each of the retailers visited refused to sell aerosol spray paints to 14 and 15 year old volunteers. Previous tests found that half of those tested sold without checking the age of the underage purchaser.

Cllr Carole Kavanagh, the Council’s Executive Member for Environmental Protection said: " The enforcement action taken as a result of the earlier failures appears to have prompted traders to take their responsibilities seriously. Graffiti has a very damaging effect on the appearance and the way people feel about our local communities and costs thousands of pounds to remove."

The maximum penalty under the Anti-social Behaviour Act for not complying with this legislation is £2,500 per offence.

Trading Standards Officers say they will continue to conduct checks on a regular basis to ensure that the law is being complied with.