Tag on Nasons’ empty building in the city centre Image: Canterbury City Council
A Folkestone man has been ordered to pay over £1,300 in fines and costs after admitting to multiple counts of graffiti vandalism across Canterbury city centre. Alexander Taylor, 24, appeared in Margate Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (January 23) and pleaded guilty to four counts of breaching the city’s Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).
Taylor’s tagging spree, which took place in May of last year, was brought to light after CCTV operators spotted him defacing the underpass in St George’s Street. Canterbury City Council’s Environmental Crime team, Graffiti Officers, and CCTV operators collaborated to trace Taylor to a vehicle parked in Ivy Lane. The vehicle’s registered keeper was subsequently interviewed, leading to Taylor’s identification.
The court heard that Taylor was linked to further graffiti incidents, including tagging Newingate House on Lower Bridge Street, a wall near the Beaney’s Best Lane entrance, and the old Nason’s building on the High Street. All four locations fell under the council’s PSPO.
Magistrates fined Taylor £532 for the offences and ordered him to pay £200 in costs, £365.12 in compensation for cleaning expenses, and a £213 victim surcharge.
This case follows a similar incident in November, 2024 where the “Mr Slime” tagger was ordered to pay £1,500 in fines and costs for vandalism.
Cllr Connie Nolan, Cabinet Member for Community Engagement, Safety and Enforcement, said:
“Another tagger being asked to fork out a large sum of money must act as a warning to anyone tempted to scrawl across the city’s walls – we will track you down.
“Tagging isn’t harmless fun. It affects people’s quality of life and makes an area feel unsafe.
“And the cost of cleaning up after taggers and hunting them down could be better spent on other frontline services helping those in need.
“I pay tribute to the team behind this court case but also to our officers who cleaned off more than 5,000 tags across the district in 2024.”