CANNABIS DAUBINGS

Graffiti has been daubed on walls in a Mid Devon town which will lead to a
costly clean-up bill. In recent weeks new scrawls have been spotted on
walls at Tiverton's pannier market, on the new housing development opposite
East Devon College and in the skate park.

The culprits have not been caught in the act, but one vandal, who signs the
tag 'THC', is particularly prolific. What is worrying is the hardly veiled
drug reference in this 'tag'.

THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol - the active narcotic ingredient in
marijuana.

The yellow and black writing is designed in 2ft high lettering.

A Mid Devon District Council spokeswoman said she was familiar with the THC
vandal.

"We have already come across this offender before," she said. "We can only
deal with the damage done to council-owned property, so the pannier market
is our problem."