THEY say crime does not pay – but the cost of clearing graffiti in York has plummeted thanks to a scheme which sees offenders giving something back.

Figures revealed under the Freedom of Information Act show City of York Council had to fork out £36,541 last year to clear 435 incidents of graffiti.

But the figures show a drop of more than £20,000 on the figures in 2008/09, when £59,954 was spent on clearing up graffiti, and last year’s was the lowest recorded amount in the city for four years.

A spokeswoman for the City of York Council said thanks to the probation service’s Community Payback scheme, which sees offenders wipe away daubings as part of their punishment, thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money had been saved.

She said high-profile graffiti-busting schemes such the online database TAAGY, which displays common tags and gives their location within the city, has also driven down the number of offences in York.

Scarcroft Road, Millennium Bridge and Skeldergate Bridge were some of the most frequently targeted areas.