While celebrating the local artwork in support of the NHS and key workers, Lichfield District Council’s community safety team is also aware of a growing number of fly-tipping incidents and reports of graffiti.
Since lockdown began, the district has seen some wonderful artistic expression by youngsters at home with their parents creating rainbow paintings, which are being displayed in thousands of windows across villages, towns and the city.
This show of solidarity and support for frontline workers is ‘good’.
However, where there is good unfortunately you also get the ‘bad’, which is when rubbish is dumped on local lanes, beauty spots and private land.
The shared waste service for Lichfield and Tamworth has continued to run a full waste and recycling service, where other local authorities have cut back.
The council’s grounds maintenance, street cleansing and parks teams have also been continuing to keep the district tidy despite lockdown.
This is something to be applauded and is helping to keep some normality in these difficult times.
Unfortunately, there is also the ‘ugly’, which is graffiti defacing many areas of the district. Like fly-tipping, it is illegal and costly to remove.
The council’s community safety team, working with Staffordshire Police, is especially interested in stopping someone who has spray painted the tag, LÖKM across the Lichfield city.
Councillor Ashley Yeates, Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, said: "At a time when the community has come together to support one another, it is such a shame that one individual has decided to spoil our district with their unwanted tags.
“While I encourage artistic expression, there are places that it would be more appreciated especially online, where people can learn and grow and interact with likeminded people to become better artists.”
If you have any information about graffiti or any other environmental crime in the district, such as fly-tipping, please report it to the council at www.lichfielddc.gov.uk/report.
