Exeter school fines students for graffiti

A group of students have been fined by a language school after they spray-painted graffiti on buildings in Exeter.

The students were each fined £75 by the Globe English School in St David’s Hill, Exeter, after they defaced parts of the Quay.

Exeter City Council, who were called in to remove the graffiti, said the money - £1,125 in total – would go towards the cost of chemicals used to remove graffiti in the city.

Cllr Stephen Brimble, Lead Councillor for Place, said he was delighted with the School’s initiative to fine 15 of their students.

“I have to applaud the Globe for their actions, it certainly helps us with our battle against graffiti.

“Not only does it help offset the costs of paying for graffiti removal, it also sends out a strong message that people living in Exeter will not stand for this sort of behaviour.”

The School handed out the punishment after learning that its students had carried out the graffiti. The City Council recently expanded its graffiti removal team from one to three to deal with scrawlings across the city.

“Recruiting two more staff has enabled us to go from cleaning off 11 pieces a day to 40,” said Cllr Brimble. “We’re now working up until 8pm at night and this change in hours has enabled us to speak to more home owners when they get back from work.”

The City Council cleans off for free any offensive or racist graffiti from private homes, provided the owner signs a disclaimer form.