Partners join forces to clean up a Willenhall estate

Date Published : 26 August 2010

Police in Willenhall are working with Walsall Council to clean up a graffiti ridden play area.

Police from New Invention have teamed up with the council’s Street Pride team to remove graffiti that has been daubed on residents’ fences and park equipment.

This follows on from complaints received from residents on the Coppice Farm Estate.

The clean up begins on Thursday 2 September when armed with paint brushes, cleaning equipment and a large amount of elbow grease officers and council staff will give the area a facelift.

PC Stephen Elwell, from the New Invention policing team, said: "Local residents have been complaining about the graffiti on the park. With the support of Street Pride we have been able to come up with a solution at no cost to the residents. The feedback has been very positive from the local community who are pleased with the work we are doing. If anyone is affected by anti-social behaviour I urge you to contact us. Together we can come up with a solution that the local community has asked for.”

The council’s Street Pride team has agreed to carry out the graffiti removal as part of an ongoing pilot initiative to remove graffiti for free from privately owned residential properties subject to the owners signing disclaimers.

Previously the Street Pride team was only able to remove graffiti for free from publicly owned land, street furniture and buildings. It is hoped the new approach will help improve the overall appearance of the borough and encourage more people to report graffiti.

Graffiti is also one of the issues which has been tackled by the council as part of its Cracking Environmental Crime campaign.

Councillor Anthony Harris, Walsall Council cabinet member for leisure, culture and environment, added: “No-one wants to see the appearance of their properties or local park ruined by graffiti and I’m delighted that decisive action is being taken by the council and its partners to address this issue.”