LEADING councillors in Swindon have branded sentences handed out to graffiti artists by magistrates as pathetic.

Councillors said taxpayers should not be forced to bear the brunt of wanton destruction by taggers and have vowed to take civil action to recoup the clean-up costs.

The entire cabinet has vowed to crack down on the unsightly scrawl, including Coun Peter Mallinson, whose Walcot ward has been among those badly affected by the criminal damage.

Coun Peter Greenhalgh (Con, Freshbrook and Grange Park) said: "It is disappointing to see the magistrates' court give pathetic sentences.

"Anyone convicted of this crime should have their Community Service Order directed to the council. We could put them to work to resolve some of the harm they have caused."

Coun David Wren, cabinet member for local environment, said: "These people are vandals - anything we can do to recoup money is worth it."

Council leader Rod Bluh said the initial cost borne by the council in taking taggers to the civil court would make financial sense.

"We have put £100,000 into graffiti cleaning," said Coun Bluh. "This is investing to save money in the long run. We should go for cases where we will be most successful."

The council received £24,000 during the last year from criminal proceedings, but says it isn't enough.

Deputy leader of the council, Fionuala Foley, said: "If the perpetrators are council tenants, there may be no point in taking them to the civil court.

"If there are cases with assets, then we will go for them, if they are in council housing we may have to try other means.

"This is not art, this is criminality. We most certainly intend to take a tough line."

Coun Justin Tomlinson said he felt taggers weren't being discouraged enough by the town's anti-graffiti stance so far.

He said he met local taggers recently and when he told them about the new upcoming legal action, they looked worried.

"When I told them we would hound them in the pocket, they went pale and said that would likely deter them," he said.

So far, most of the graffiti taggers who have appeared in Swindon Magistrates' Court have paid a fraction of the cost of the damage caused.

Vandals can be taken to the civil court, whether or not they have been convicted.

If they haven't been convicted, the council will have to find evidence of the vandalism.

The council also plans to meet with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure maximum compensation is sought for damage against council property in criminal cases.