“Streets full of overflowing bins”, “window panes daubed with white spray” and an endemic rat problem – it piles up to create a pretty stinky picture of Southwark.
Clearly, there is an acute problem with public sanitation, ugly graffiti and rubbish in our borough that needs to be addressed.
Many people blame the perpetrators and are calling for harsher punishments for those caught in the act.
For example, the Liberal Democrats have criticised the council for not fining litterers regularly enough.
Council failed to fine a single litterer last year, data reveals
And when it comes to cleaning up Peckham’s graffiti problem, one resident has even urged to hit taggers with one-year prison sentences.
But during a cost-of-living crisis, when people are struggling to pay for the basics, locking people up and taking their money away for dropping a cigarette butt seems a bit draconian.
It comes down to a question of personal responsibility versus social responsibility. Are we as individuals responsible for keeping our streets clean, or should the buck be passed to local authorities and governments?
The answer, as boring as it is, is probably a bit of both. So while the council should undoubtedly explore all the tools at its disposal to tackle our dirty streets, we all have a role to play.
It’s easy to point the finger elsewhere – whether it be the council or “tagging toffs”. But as the old adage goes: “Be the change you want to see in the world”.
‘Posh out of town’ graffiti writers are causing havoc in Peckham