 TWO art students were warned they may face jail after they admitted leaving a trail of graffiti on city centre buildings and trains. Charlotte Backhouse, 23, and Ian Town, 24, each pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court to 22 charges of damaging property. The couple, who were at Liverpool University, targeted restaurants, cafes, office blocks in the Bold Street and Wood Street area. Backhouse and Town, both of South Drive, West Derby, also admitted damaging Merseyrail and Virgin trains with spray paint. Their distinctive tags – graffiti artists’ signatures – of Luna for Backhouse and Eject for Town led to their discovery. Philip Astbury, prosecuting, said the city council alone estimated the damage caused by Backhouse and Town cost around £6,500 to repair. The court heard the total amount of all the damage caused could be up to £40,000. The city council’s city centre and north neighbourhood team, working with Merseyside Police and British Transport Police, photographed hundreds of graffiti images used as evidence against the pair. Judge Mark Brown bailed the couple to await sentence on April 16, but he said he may consider jailing them. He added: “The full range of sentencing options is open, including the possibility of custody.” Backhouse and Town denied two charges of damaging property and these offences are expected to be ordered to lie on the file at the next hearing. Speaking after Backhouse and Town appeared in court, Cllr Marilyn Fielding, Liverpool’s executive member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “The case sends out a clear message that wanton vandalism and anti-social behaviour like graffiti will not be tolerated. Defacing property is costly and very time-consuming to remove and brings an area down. “These people are vandals, not artists, and it is a very serious issue which the council and police have a responsibility to the majority of decent people to address. No-one wants to live or work by unsightly graffiti, so when we catch people, we will prosecute them. “With 2008 fast approaching, the city is determined to become a lot cleaner, greener and safer for all who live, work and visit.” | 
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