CRIMESTOPPERS has paid out its first £500 reward to a man for naming and shaming a graffiti vandal in West Yorkshire.

And now police hope others will be tempted to follow suit.

Det Con Kevin Mosley, from Crimestoppers, said: "Although we can't be too specific about the youth, he was arrested for criminal damage and given a formal reprimand.

"He admitted spraying paint on road signs, bus shelters and building walls in a semi-rural part of the county. The graffiti cost £1,200 to remove using specialist tools.

"This should act as a warning to other vandals that if they graffiti the environment they will be caught and someone else will get £500 for telling us about it."

A number of men and women across West Yorkshire have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage as part of the Crimestoppers crackdown on graffiti campaign.

Det Con Mosley - who launched the campaign in Huddersfield - added: "The information we've been getting has been of a high standard and I'd like to encourage people to continue calling us on 0800 555111 with details of those involved, where they live, what their `tag' is, and where they are doing it.

"We're still getting calls coming in, which is great, but we need more information.

"Demonstrate that you care about where you live by picking up the phone and calling us. Together we can make a difference."

The Crimestoppers campaign was launched in September and it is the first time the charity has joined forces with all five local authority areas.

Each local authority has created posters of the most commonly seen graffiti tags, which will be displayed in shops in the worst- affected areas. The information passed to Crimestoppers will be followed up locally by the Anti-Social Behaviour Units consisting of police officers and local authority staff.