A TEEN causing more than �2,000 worth of graffiti damage to the borough has been given an anti-social behaviour order. David McDonnell, 19, of First Drive, Stonebridge, was convicted at Brent Magistrates Court of repeated graffiti offences in Stonebridg

A TEEN causing more than �2,000 worth of graffiti damage to the borough has been given an anti-social behaviour order.

David McDonnell, 19, of First Drive, Stonebridge, was convicted at Brent Magistrates' Court of repeated graffiti offences in Stonebridge, Willesden, Dudden Hill.

He was also responsible for graffiti offences on London Transport property.

Brent Council has applied for graffiti ASBOs as part of its strategy in tackling graffiti crime, after a Keep Britain Tidy survey in November revealed that the percentage of Brent's sites failing to meet a cleanliness standard fell from 20 per cent to 12 per cent. Cllr Hayley Matthews, member for crime and community safety, said: "The latest cleanliness survey and these successful ASBOs show that our partnership working, which takes a planned and intelligent approach to tackle a complex problem, can deliver results.

"Residents can help achieve further improvements by reporting graffiti promptly, especially in alleyways and underpasses.

"If we don't know it's there, we can't clean it. We absolutely depend on them."

Co-ordinated activity through the Brent Graffiti Partnership Board, which brings together council teams, Brent Housing Partnership, Metropolitan and Transport Police, Transport for London and National Rail, is targeting graffiti crime by applying for ASBOs, cleaning social housing, patrols by Safer Neighbourhood Teams and a programme of prevention activities including murals and public arts.

McDonnell, who is associated with the tags ROMES, NEXT or NXT, CONES or BONES, is banned from being in possession of any unset paint, permanent marker pen, shoe dye or permanent ink in any form, in any public place in England and Wales.

Residents, business owners and officers from different agencies are asked to report any breaches of the ASBO by McDonnell by ringing 0300 123 1212 anonymously.

Report any graffiti by calling the Contact Centre on 020 8937 5050 or visit www.brent.gov.uk/graffiti

sofia.mitra-thakur@archant.co.uk