Auntie's Latest Crime: Graffiti

Auntie's Latest Crime: Graffiti

WIGAN, England, March 25/PRNewswire/ -- The BBC has received a rap on the knuckles from a clean-up charity - for plugging graffiti.

Keep Britain Tidy is incensed that the Beeb's latest radio station - 1extra - is promoting the supposed "propa fresh" world of urban scrawl - with a new animated series Taggerz, aired on its web site. The cartoon glorifies the unwelcome world of tagging (names and symbols tattooed on other people's property) and makes spraying your mark seem cool.

Alan Woods, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy said: "It comes to something when a publicly funded organisation promotes crime - just so it can "get down with the kids". I doubt the Director General of the BBC would enjoy graffiti appearing on Broadcasting House and I know exactly what any license payer would feel should their house be tagged as a result of this site - DISGUSTED!

Graffiti is not 'quality', 'ripe' or 'cool'. It costs over 27 million pounds a year, is the bane of people's lives and even makes some people feel unsafe and intimidated in their own community."

Popular BBC programmes such as "Little Britain" are always a great hit with young people, the catch phrases and one-liners like "Yeah I know", "The computer says no" and "Yeah but, no but" are repeated in practically every school, office and pub by it's avid fans. Keep Britain Tidy is worried that we will now see this type of cult craze with Taggerz but instead of sharing a joke with friends - they will be sharing the misery of tagging by blasting it across homes, derelict buildings, schools and playgrounds.

Even the web page on the BBC site has graffiti style writing to make it look hip. Hop on over to their latest television trailer for 1extra and you'll also see the Beeb using graffiti to make their scenes (and radio station) appear "urban" and "edgy".

Graffiti writers have even posted their feeble excuses on the web site saying that "graff aint vandalism but a art... and its one of da ways we can show our feelins and get em across to the peeps out der" - but there is nothing artistic about crime. And perhaps they won't feel so expressive when they are coughing up GBP50 under new Government laws(1)- because they've been fined for doing it!

1) The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill.

For more on ENCAMS and the Keep Britain Tidy campaign see www.encams.org.uk

Source: Keep Britain Tidy

For further information Please contact Peter Gibson on +44(0)7768-880016.

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