Dealing with graffiti and fly-posting

Graffiti and fly-posting are criminal damage, anti-social behaviours, create a negative impression of the local neighbourhood and contribute to an increased fear of crime.

Graffiti is any informal or illegal marks, scratching, carvings, drawings or paintings that have been deliberately made by a person or group of people in a public space without authorisation to do so.

Fly-posting is any printed material that is unauthorised and (informally or illegally) fixed to a surface.  It includes all sizes of material from small self-adhesive stickers to large posters. Fly-posting it is often advertising popular music recordings, concerts and other events.

Hounslow Highways is responsible for the removal of graffiti and fly-posting from the public highway that Hounslow Highways maintains on behalf of the London Borough of Hounslow.

Where graffiti has been placed on sites that have been specifically authorised by the council, such as graffiti walls and authorised murals, these will be excluded.

Fly-posting excludes formally managed and approved advertising hoardings and any other authorised, legally placed signs and notices (unless they are out-of-date). Public notices are deemed fly-posting if they have been left up for more than one calendar month after their expiry date.

If you notice graffiti or fly-posting you can report it to us using our online form.

Hounslow Highways will endeavour to remove non-offensive graffiti and flyposting within 7 days, and in 24 hours if it is considered offensive.  Necessary information will be gathered to follow through with enforcement and recovery of removal costs, should there be retrievable evidence.  The removal of graffiti and flyposting may include a referral or notice to the relevant land or asset owner to maintain their assets.