71194-47PEOPLE who stick up fly posters were given a taste of their own medicine when a Swindon councillor pasted a "cancelled" sign on one of their illegal bills.

Former mayor Stan Pajak (Lib Dem, Eastcott) reckons direct action is the only way to stop people sticking up the unsightly advertisements.

And he is calling on fellow councillors to adopt his stunt as official policy.

Under his plan, council street cleaning staff would be sent around town pasting the brightly coloured "cancelled" stickers across illegal posters.

To hammer the point home, a message printed across the bottom of the sticker would read: "This poster is cancelled by Swindon Borough Council."

It is hoped the nightclubs and record companies behind the posters would soon realise their adverts weren't working and would cease the practice.

Coun Pajak, who demonstrated his scheme yesterday at a parade of shops near the Moonrakers pub, in Cricklade Road, said: "Fly posting is ugly and it makes our town look dirty and neglected.

"Worse than that, it gives the impression that Swindon residents don't care how their town looks and that is simply not true.

"We must stop environmental criminals from causing urban decay in our town."

Swindon Services is responsible for removing fly posters from council property, with a street cleaning budget of £1.8 million a year.

Coun Pajak, who is the Lib Dem spokesman for environment and transport, said his scheme would be a simple and cheap way of taking on the fly posterers.

"Council taxpayers shouldn't have to pick up the tab for shifting illegally placed posters on Swindon's walls, buildings, junction and telephone boxes," he said.

The idea of cancelling out fly posters' events was pioneered by Lib Dem-controlled Oadby and Wigston Council in Leicestershire.

Authorities in Liverpool and Bristol are also understood to be considering adopting the scheme.

Fly posting is punishable by a fine of up to £1,000 for each offence, but securing a conviction is extremely difficult.

Swindon Council has made just two prosecutions in four years, and said its limited resources prevented it from properly enforcing the law.

"It's incredibly hard to prosecute and enforce laws against fly posting," said a council spokesman.

"It's an ongoing problem and you have to catch them in the act."

Coun Pajak is to put his proposal to the Services To The Community Scrutiny Commission next Tuesday. The public meeting starts at 7pm at the Civic Offices in Euclid Street.

Some councils have gone even further to rid their boroughs of unwanted fly posters.

North London's Camden Council tried to put an Anti Social Behaviour Order on Sony Music chiefs after receiving more than 1,000 residents' complaints about its posters. The executives escaped the orders after promising not to commission any more illegal fly posting.

Andy Tate