Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council taking too long to remove graffiti she reported. This is because we could not add to the response the Council has already provided via its own investigation of the matter. Also, the matter complained about has not caused Ms X a significant personal injustice which is so serious that it warrants a further investigation by this office.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains the Council took too long to remove a piece of graffiti she reported which she found offensive.

Back to top

The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse effect on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start an investigation if we decide the tests set out in our Assessment Code are not met. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)
3. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide:

• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

Back to top

My assessment

6. Ms X reported a piece of graffiti to the Council in late August 2025. She complained to the Council when, over two months later, it had still not been removed.
7. The Council told Ms X it could not locate the graffiti. Ms X again provided details of the location of the graffiti and the Council then promptly removed it.
8. The Council has written to Ms X apologising for the delay in removing the graffiti. It explained this was due to officer error in attending the wrong address to remove the graffiti when it was reported.
9. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint. This is because it is unlikely we could add to the response and explanation already provided by the Council via its own investigation of the matter. It has acknowledged and apologised for its delay and has explained why it happened. There is nothing further we would add.
10. Whilst the Council’s delay in removing the graffiti caused Ms X some level of frustration and annoyance, it has not caused her a significant personal injustice which is so serious that it warrants the use of limited public funds to carry out a further investigation. We do not investigate every complaint we receive and we must focus our limited public resources on investigating those complaints where a person has suffered a significant personal injustice as a direct result of fault by the organisation.

Back to top

Final decision

11. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because we could not add to the response the Council has provided via its own investigation and because the matter has not caused Ms X a significant personal injustice so serious that it warrants the use of public funds to carry out a further investigation.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman