What is fly-posting?
Promotional posters, stickers or notices put up without permission. This spoils the appearance of an area and can be a hazard to pedestrians and road users.
Fly-posted advertising is often:
- tied to road signs, lampposts and railings
- pasted onto buildings or windows of empty shops
- stuck into grass verges
Fly-posting is a criminal offence. It carries a maximum fine of £2,500, with a fixed penalty charge of £100 for each poster.
Report it to us
If you see someone putting up advertising illegally, report it.
You will need to
Log into your MyAccount (or create an account if you don't already have one) to complete the form. MyAccount is an easier and quicker way to interact with us and is available 24/7.
- complete the form
What information do I need to provide?
Give as much information as you can about:
- the exact location
- the number and size of posters/stickers
- who/what is being advertised
- details of the venue, if it's an event
- date and time of the offence
- a description of the person/people involved
Please note, we can't investigate fly-posting on private land.
If you wish to report it anonymously select the 'Report anonymously' option on the MyAccount log in page
How to advertise your event
We welcome fairs, festivals, sales and shows and know the huge amount of work that goes into them. Advertising is allowed when done legally and safely and it's a good idea to plan and budget for it in advance. There are lots of ways to promote your event such as:
- Ask to put your posters up on the noticeboards of local halls or community centres.
- Shops may agree to put posters up in their windows for a small charge.
- Social media is a great way of spreading the word
- Advertising in the 'What's On' section of local newspapers will reach thousands of people.
If you do use posters then, in most cases, you can put them on private land providing you have the landowner's written permission (we may ask to see this) and your poster is no bigger than 0.6sqm (600mm x 1000mm.) Anything bigger will need planning permission.
How to advertise your event (PDF, 180KB)