SHOOT ZEM!

See how they like it and as a deterent to others, tattoo their faces with the word "criminal".

No need for expensive prison sentences or even expensive supervised community service. It's simple. Vandalise their property. Indelibly mark their nikes and their i-pods and their mobile phones and all their best clothes. See how they like it when their favourite 'gear' is tagged by us!

U people are a disgrace commenting on three young normal but artistic youths u give culture, to areas far and wide. When banksy does it u all jerk off and pay big sums of cash to a dude taking the **** out of this sheepish society we live in futher more there are terrorists and missing children madeline, and the police want to watse time and resources on graffiti artist like they are the only ones in england. THINK!

Artistic? I don't mind some graffiti. But most, like the above, have no talent at all. Tags are lame/talentless. And don't put them in the same boat as Banksy.

Its a shame wrote:
U people are a disgrace commenting on three young normal but artistic youths u give culture, to areas far and wide. When banksy does it u all jerk off and pay big sums of cash to a dude taking the **** out of this sheepish society we live in futher more there are terrorists and missing children madeline, and the police want to watse time and resources on graffiti artist like they are the only ones in england. THINK!

There is nothing normal or artistic about defacing property. It is criminal damage and anti-social. Obviously, you must be doing it yourself.

If you notice all the media coverage is one sided. They only say the worst to portray these guys as criminals when really there not. There talented designers but from reading this you believe their vandals. Dont believe what you read.

Martin Harris wrote:
If you notice all the media coverage is one sided. They only say the worst to portray these guys as criminals when really there not. There talented designers but from reading this you believe their vandals. Dont believe what you read.

They may well be artistic, but graffiti is illegal. It is a criminal offence. They are criminals because they are vandalising property which does not belong to them.

Crikey, you're right! When they daubed their illiterate splodges all over trains, they weren't vandalising them... they were just using their amazing, undiscovered talent *design* them! I now understand that clean trains with scratch-free windows and rip-free seats are just terrible examples of bad design, and people like these two should be employed to improve them. How could we all have missed something so obvious?

this is what thepolice thrive on- u the gullible public. why dont u consider how much this case cost to bring to court.. many thousands more than what was retrieved in fines. the information in this article is fundamentally wrong and the fugures quoted are only specualtive. graffiti does not cost what it portrayed in the media. it costs £8 sq/m to clean the figures are exaggerated inorder to plug the gap in other failing parts of the business. and all those who say it wrong to deface etc are probablty the same mugs who say banksy is art. if we all go out and use a stencil as a blue rint for the tags - that makes it ok??
gullible mugs

The legal system certainly is expensive, but that's unfortunately avoidable... the execution of the law has to come before questions of cost. I partly take your point about Banksy, but (if I understand the story correctly) these people were charged for *tagging*. That's not creating a mural or a funny cartoon... that's just some moron spraying their name on a wall.

Gah, I meant to type "unavoidable"!

I wish somebody would fine the idiots that fill the New Tate with garbage, unmade beds as art etc. Also, I hope that now we have a new Mayor of London, Trafalgar Square wont be filled with rubbishy so-called art. Lets hope the pigeons will be free to feed and fly once more and let the taggers have their day tagging the square. They can always clean it up afterwards, and it might be an interesting exhibition.

as u say understand the article correctly". trust me there are many flaws in this article. how do i know. i know each person involved, saw first hand the tactics used by the police. now im not condoning what was done. for example each were put on home detention for 16 months all because the police said bail was broken which was a blatent lie by the police as it never one, despite one being out of the country while the "bail breach" had taken place. this HDC costs the tax payer £1000 pound a day. this whole thing has been sensationalised for the press. it is something the the general public would not believe unless experienced. the police are just legal criminals.

You don't actualy realise that these people were on tag for 15months, restricted to go out after certain times. Also the calculations they put on these three are ridiculous, it's rubbish. It nowhere near came up to 100k, it probably would have all come up to 50k at the most. They should be made to clean their rubbish off, these people got a fair sentence, but there's hundreds of other vandals out there who get ridiculous sentences. They get sent to jail for graffiti which is absolutely ridiculous and wasting tax payers money? Don't you think these stupid BTP officers should stop wasting so much money in to their investigations, they go as far as travelling to other countries to gather evidence on them, carrying out ridiculous amount of forensics and that's were all the tax payers money goes to. The justice in this country is absolutely wrong. One minute there complaining about prison over crowding, then another minute there's suddenly people getting sent to jail for graffiti. This country is a joke. You can rape a innocent women, ruin her life, and get the same sentence as a graffiti artist, who is just spraying trains expressing them selves and not harming any body else.

ive seen these guys work and the picture of that tag does them no justice. they did some colourful pieces round our way that brightened up the dull walls along the train tracks on my morning commute! have you seen the advertising campaign at the moment for a car 'some people call it criminal, others great art'... well although im not condoning what these guys have done theres no doubt good graffiti is cool. its used to sell everything from clothes to cars, and although Bansky can be cited as a famous example of when graffiti is loved when it appears, many lesser known artists do pieces that can be greatly enjoyed by the public as well, not everyone hates it. we all see hundreds of adverts a day, is a nice piece of graffiti art so bad? have you ever seen the hordes of tourists taking pictures of the graffiti up at Southbank? and as for your comments that you should write stuff on their things and see how they like it, has anyone ever graffited something you own? to my knowledge they dont paint peoples cars or houses, just boring ugly walls which personally i think are usually improved! its not like they are writing anything offensive. When artists like Bansky can become famous and make so much money for illegal street art you cant be surprised when other kids want to follow his lead. Addias did its famous 'End to End' graffiti based clothing range recently using graf artists that had became famous for writing their tags illegally. Undoubtably for some its been a career move. Of all the criminal activities to be involved i think id rather they were doing this than drugs stealing or fighting, at least a bit of paint is fairly harmless. And if you were wondering no i've never indulged in this kind of activity myself, i just personally feel London with no graffiti at all would be a much more boring place!!

Actually, what we all need to do is ask the offenders for their home addresses - and then write graffiti all over their stereo systems, computers and TV sets - perhaps even spray their clothes as well - put them in the stocks and spray their faces. Now that WOULD be justice.

This article has been completely exaggerated on every level. The inaccuracies could be perceived as victimisation. The information you read in this article has been glorified to justify the cost of this investigation and portray them as responsible for graffiti on a global scale. Do you think someone who breaks into your house is responsible for ALL burglaries on a national scale??? I don’t think so.

The 3 guys in the article have been treated appallingly by the police service and judicial system, from having faulty tagging equipment leading to being held unfairly in police cells for days on end, to having the investigation team constantly chipping away at them.

Maybe its time the police service as a whole started to concentrate on important issues such as the missing children, the drugs on our streets and the stabbings we hear about daily. These are the issues that matter.

Chav wrote:
Artistic? I don\'t mind some graffiti. But most, like the above, have no talent at all. Tags are lame/talentless. And don\'t put them in the same boat as Banksy.

like the above??? I take it you know these people enough to take a view on their talent!! Same boat as Banksy? You're just following the hype surrounding him at the moment!!! At the end of the day Banksy is painting on a wall, just because he is 'famous' doesnt mean that what he is doing should be viewed differently! in fact, he's the one people aspire to!! Painting on a wall, Banksy or not, the principle is the same. And i assume you don't know how Banksy started out??

P wrote:
SHOOT ZEM!

What an absolutely great idea, you should join the police force they need people like you. And I agree, why in earth we should tolerate such a serious crime such as painting and the lasting effect it has on families and the community, especially when you quite rightly put it in the context of knife and gun crime. Painting has such a more devastating effect don’t you think??!!!!!

Don't you think these stupid BTP officers should stop wasting so much money in to their investigations, they go as far as travelling to other countries to gather evidence on them, carrying out ridiculous amount of forensics and that's were all the tax payers money goes to.

If these vandals would not have broken the law in the first place, the BTP wouldn't have needed to spend any money in investigating. Did you ever think about that Annonnymous?

'Art' what are you talking about - tagging is mindless vandalism with little or no skill. Hell if they had bothered to go to school they (and their obvious friends posting here) may even be able to spell correctly.

If it is art why apply it to other peoples' property - put it in a book and sell it if they are that good.

There is nothing worse than sitting in a train covered in paint, plus it looks awful and intimidating for others.

Bring back national service for these scum, thats what I say.

I Hate Chavs wrote:
'Art' what are you talking about - tagging is mindless vandalism with little or no skill. Hell if they had bothered to go to school they (and their obvious friends posting here) may even be able to spell correctly.

If it is art why apply it to other peoples' property - put it in a book and sell it if they are that good.

There is nothing worse than sitting in a train covered in paint, plus it looks awful and intimidating for others.

Bring back national service for these scum, thats what I say.

what a jolly good idea!! i say i say.. you no nothing about any of them and their educational background and are probably one of those people who read the guardian stating how banksy is "modern art" and one of those suburban muppetts who buy into all that " broken window theorry" and as for soozE.. only this week BTP have let several vandals off because "its not in the public interest- meaning they have hit there targets. so please unless you actually know how the police operate dont post those stupid comments. For the police its not about catching criminals its about feeding gullible people like yourselves target numbers so you think something is actually being done, when in fact we all know sweet FA is done. we can all manipualte figures to suit ourselves- just like the figures and facts in this very article

Jim, getting a little into this aren't we.

Look at yourself, they graffiti'd a train and got banged up for it, end of.

Its not some major conspiracy - they did the crime now they must do the time..., my heart really bleeds for them.

Will they do it again, I would hope not. So if they don't, banging them up worked.

LORD FAUNTLEROY wrote:
Actually, what we all need to do is ask the offenders for their home addresses - and then write graffiti all over their stereo systems, computers and TV sets - perhaps even spray their clothes as well - put them in the stocks and spray their faces. Now that WOULD be justice.

and who are you to decide what would be justice for these guys after seeing a BTP press release? i feel i should inform you no graffiti artist would spray anyones stereo, computer, tv set, clothes or face! you're much lower than any of them.

Lucy wrote:

LORD FAUNTLEROY wrote: Actually, what we all need to do is ask the offenders for their home addresses - and then write graffiti all over their stereo systems, computers and TV sets - perhaps even spray their clothes as well - put them in the stocks and spray their faces. Now that WOULD be justice.

and who are you to decide what would be justice for these guys after seeing a BTP press release? i feel i should inform you no graffiti artist would spray anyones stereo, computer, tv set, clothes or face! you're much lower than any of them.

Lucy

What an idiotic thing to say. Engage brain before speaking me thinks.

Don't you guys actually take graffiti a bit TOO SERIOUS? Fair enough a lot of things are sprayed over and it costs to clean...But bearing in mind Graffiti is probably one of the most minor crimes. Do you think it is fair to send a graffiti artist to prison where he has to associate with drug addicts? Murderers? rapists? and imagine how he could turn out to be when he comes out f prison. This can go on and on, but graffiti artists certainly shouldn't deserve the sentences they get these days, end of the day they're just painting the trains and that is quite a serious crime aint it?
Coming to think of it, do you actualy personally think that a graffiti artist can actually cause 100k damage to transport? Be bloody serious!!!
This is all exaggerated, so they can be put down a lot longer than they deserve. Sooze about breaking the law, these people have commited a crime and yes they do deserve some sort of punishment, but there is absolutely no need to go all out on these investigations! They seem as bad as Murderers!!! getting forensics done, phone calls are being tapped, every bit of CCTV being watched.

what? ive 'engaged my brain'... i only meant painters DONT ruin peoples personal property, or assault people. what this guy wants to do to them are much worse crimes and a lot more emotionally distressing than anything they've done!

Lucy wrote:
what? ive 'engaged my brain'... i only meant painters DONT ruin peoples personal property, or assault people. what this guy wants to do to them are much worse crimes and a lot more emotionally distressing than anything they've done!

Lucy

So a train, a wall etc is not personal property because it is run by a corporate organisation.

FYI we have to pay for cleaning stations, the companies pass the costs to their passengers so in that respect they are......

I stand by what I said before, you are an idiot, do you 'tag' yourself by any chance?.....

No actually i dont, but you obviously think its a case of a them or us mentality. Personally i think its a silly passtime. But i dont think its for anyone to think they would have the right to administer justice themselves in the way Lord Faunteleroy described, what he was suggesting was a mob like personal assault.
yes we all pay a little bit more because of their activites, yes its annoying. perhaps we should round up every shoplifter, benefits cheat, mp with dubious personal expenses and put them all in stocks and spray their faces with paint too. come to think of it lets add all the smokers and overweight people into the mix too, their health problems are pushing up our NHS bills. litter droppers, drunken fights pushing up policing costs on a saturday night, jobseekers too lazy to find work- hell there is a million things i'd rather not be paying for! but you cant go around seriously thinking destroying their posessions and assaulting them would be right.
my comments weren't condoning graffiti if you'd read them. it was condoning the silly suggestions of people who think justice would be to launch a personal assult on these youths.
we have a mass justice system imposed by people people much cleverer than me, and certainly you, for these sort of things if you hadnt noticed. And oh look, they caught these people and imposed our national and legal justice system upon them, it appears the system works. isnt that what this whole article is about? taking the law into your our own hands and going after these people mob style would be a hell of a worse crime in my opinion than some damage to public/ corporate property.
if these youths as concerned with destroying personal property and assaulting people as Lord Fauntleroy appears to be, im sure there would have been opportunites for them far closer than the train station.

They like to call themselves ‘graffiti artists’, but they are nothing of the sort. They are wannabes – with nothing better to offer society than to deface other people’s property with their pathetic attempts – a three-year-old child could do better.
And the reason they do not respect other peoples property – because they have mostly be brought up by a generation of stupid, lazy parents.

Lucy wrote:
No actually i dont, but you obviously think its a case of a them or us mentality. Personally i think its a silly passtime. But i dont think its for anyone to think they would have the right to administer justice themselves in the way Lord Faunteleroy described, what he was suggesting was a mob like personal assault. yes we all pay a little bit more because of their activites, yes its annoying. perhaps we should round up every shoplifter, benefits cheat, mp with dubious personal expenses and put them all in stocks and spray their faces with paint too. come to think of it lets add all the smokers and overweight people into the mix too, their health problems are pushing up our NHS bills. litter droppers, drunken fights pushing up policing costs on a saturday night, jobseekers too lazy to find work- hell there is a million things i'd rather not be paying for! but you cant go around seriously thinking destroying their posessions and assaulting them would be right. my comments weren't condoning graffiti if you'd read them. it was condoning the silly suggestions of people who think justice would be to launch a personal assult on these youths. we have a mass justice system imposed by people people much cleverer than me, and certainly you, for these sort of things if you hadnt noticed. And oh look, they caught these people and imposed our national and legal justice system upon them, it appears the system works. isnt that what this whole article is about? taking the law into your our own hands and going after these people mob style would be a hell of a worse crime in my opinion than some damage to public/ corporate property. if these youths as concerned with destroying personal property and assaulting people as Lord Fauntleroy appears to be, im sure there would have been opportunites for them far closer than the train station.

Lucy

Well put.....It is a case of them or us. The vast majority of 'us' are law obiding citizens, wheras 'they' are the dregs of society (scum) that makes 'our' lives that little bit less plesent.

Like the thought about the benefit cheats, shoplifters etc, maybe Lord Fauntleroy could suggest a suitable punishment for these crimes.

RE the 'mass' justice system, what's your point. We all know it is not perfect - how many times have inappropriate sentences been issued for serious crimes due to 'out of touch' judges who are more intelligent then you or I supposedly.

The law is the law - they decided to go round and deface other peoples property and they got caught.

This is absolutely ridiculous. I can't believe some of these comments! So ill-informed and taking an easy and stereotypical view on these 'vandals'. Scum? Should have spent more time in school? Honestly, how can you say this at all, based on your reading of an article on a website? Obviously we aren't going to solve the long debate over whether grafitti is indeed art or vandalism. If the media reporting was not so one sided, and made a concerted effort, they would know that one of these 'vandals', is now giving back to his community (obviously exerpt from their sentence orders). While alot of the 'grafitti artists' known have questionable talent, if any commenters here were to actually create an informed opinion, they would see that at least one is extremely talented, and has turned his talents towards painting and design. Honestly, you all need to read up instead of just reading one article and deciding whether these people are 'scum' or 'mindless vandals'. It scares me to think that the majority of commenters here represent a larger populus.
Also, I really wish to understand how coming across grafitti is so distressing, and apparently soul destroying, to so many of you. Please tell.

"I really wish to understand how coming across grafitti is so distressing, and apparently soul destroying, to so many of you. Please tell"

Anon, a friend of mine borders a rail line and the rear of his house is constantly getting graffiti'd. He is out there on a regular basis trying to clean it off. It is distressing for him and his neighbours. I am of the view that these people are indeed 'scum' as you put it, and obviously of lesser intellect otherwise they would channel their questionable tallent through proper means.

Dashman

An intelligent response, did it take both your brain cells to think of that.