Significant Drop in South Auckland Tagging

A push to get rid of graffiti in South Auckland has paid off - with a significant drop in tagging in Manukau City.

Manukau City Mayor Len Brown says initiatives such as removing spray cans from display in shops and bringing in private investigators to hunt down taggers has resulted in an estimated 70 per cent drop in tagging.

Since the investigators were introduced, dozens of taggers - aged from 13 to people in their mid-40s - have been prosecuted for their actions.