Flyposters face legal crackdown

Marketing 09-Jun-04

Local authorities in London will declare war on flyposters this summer, after the introduction of laws imposing an automatic fixed penalty on perpetrators, rather than a lengthy court battle.

The London Local Authorities Act has been created to give local government greater and swifter powers to clean up streets and reduce 'environmental crime', such as abandoned cars, noisy neighbours and flyposting. The Act will be passed in July.

Flyposting is already illegal, but councils must go through the full process of prosecuting an offending company. Even if this is successful, which can take years, the advertiser is rarely served with a fine of much more than £1000.

The change in the law comes as London boroughs step up their battle against flyposters. Two weeks ago, Camden served Antisocial Behaviour Orders on the chief executives of record companies Sony Music and BMG for flyposting.

News analysis, page 17.