Tagger Lawrence Davies' prosecution ends reign of grafitti crew
Nov 21 2009 by Mark Cowan, Birmingham Mail
ANTI-GRAFFITI campaigners today said the successful prosecution of ‘most wanted’ teen tagger Lawrence Davies had helped bring to an end the blight of a prolific graffiti crew.
Spray can menace Davies was spared jail and given one last chance to end his “seriously offensive” graffiti sprees by a judge at Birmingham Crown Court.
The taskforce set up to erase the blight of graffiti defacing Birmingham said they would now be keeping an eye out to ensure the 19-year-old’s telltale tags didn’t re-appear.
Davies, of Ashbrook Road, Stirchley, who pleaded guilty to criminal damage and breaching his ASBO, was known by the tag ‘Bler’.
Through social networking sites he roped in others to join him on his vandal attacks in Stirchley and Small Heath, giving the gang the name ‘TFC’.
Mobile phone footage showed him spraying his distinctive tags, that also included ‘Yea’ and ‘Yes’, along with fellow graffiti vandals at various locations across Birmingham.
He became one of the city’s most wanted taggers as British Transport Police prepared to officially classify TFC as an Organised Crime Group because of the damage being caused to the railway network around Birmingham.
A BTP spokesman said: “It was clear to all agencies involved that Davies was one of the most prolific graffiti writers and the TFC crew was one of the most active graffiti crews in Birmingham.
“The frequency of the tags’ appearance on buses, public and private buildings and the rail network suggested crimes were being committed daily.”
The case was the first success of a new strategy to tackle graffiti that has united the city council and police.
The city’s anti-graffiti strategy co-ordinator Hasan Wazir said the tags had virtually disappeared from the city following Davies’ arrest in the summer. “We are not heartless and are just trying to clean up the city. We want him to sort himself out – but it is up to him to choose,” he added.
Chair of public protection committee, Coun Neil Eustace, said: “We will continue to take every step possible to combat this menace.”
