Small businesses targeted by graffiti vandals will now be written to instead of fined if they fail to clean the mess.

Enforcement action against small businesses has been paused by the Labour administration after Brighton and Hove councillors decided it was unfair to penalise victims of graffiti.

The policy was introduced by the Green-led council, which was ousted in May’s local election.

As of August 7, the council’s environmental enforcement team will write to small businesses advising them on dealing with and managing tagging offences.

Larger businesses, including those with a regional or national presence, and “statutory undertakers”, organisations responsible for electricity, gas, water, telecoms and highways in the city, will still be required to remove graffiti from their property or face a fine.

Community protection warnings, community protection notices and fixed penalty notices will be issued to encourage larger businesses to remove tagging.

Councillor Tim Rowkins, chairman of Brighton and Hove City Council’s environment, South Downs and the sea committee, said: “From today, we’ll send letters asking small businesses to clean tags from their property and advising them how best to deter taggers in the future but they won’t be threatened with a fine.

“It seemed unfair to penalise local small businesses who might already be struggling financially when they were already the victims of vandalism.

“We believe that small business owners will continue to be responsible and remove graffiti from their property in a timely manner.

“Keeping walls, shutters and shopfronts clear and clean deters offenders and we encourage all businesses across Brighton and Hove to help us in the battle against tagging offences.

“We know that businesses around the city will support our efforts to keep the city clean.”

The council is carrying out a review of the graffiti reduction strategy, with the environment committee set to seek permission to start a consultation on refreshing it.

If approved, residents and businesses will be encouraged to share their views on how they think the problem of tackling graffiti can be improved in Brighton and Hove.

The proposal will be put forward to councillors in September.