A vandal has been ordered to clean up a popular natural landmark after he was caught spray-painting it.

The 31-year-old man was arrested after police patrols saw him graffiti an area of Wellington Rocks, in Tunbridge Wells Common.

He had travelled by train from his home in London on June 11 and was caught with a rucksack containing several spray cans.

The man claimed to be unaware of the landmark’s local significance and importance to the town saying he had sprayed the graffiti in memory of a friend.

The Londoner has since been ordered to clean up the yellow spray paint as part of the force's action aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour in the area.

District commander for Tunbridge Wells, chief inspector Stuart Paul, said: “Whilst criminal damage is never acceptable, the offender appears to have expressed genuine remorse, and after discussing the matter with those who manage the land, he was made the subject of a conditional caution.

“This required him to complete reparation work under instructions from a park ranger, and he has also had to write a letter of apology.”

Over the past year, the police have increased their focus on tackling anti-social behaviour in Tunbridge Wells with enhanced patrols aimed at deterring and reducing offences such as shop thefts, assaults, and criminal damage.

The work has seen charge rates rise for several offences. Between October last year and September this year, there were 49 charges made for criminal damage, compared to 27 in the previous corresponding period.

Charges relating to offences involving the use of violence have also increased, to 230 from 204 and the detection rate for shoplifting offences increased from 174 to 236.

Chief inspector Paul added: “Anti-social behaviour can lead to thefts, assaults, and mindless damage to property.

“We are more than aware of several concerns raised by residents and businesses over the past year, many of which we believe are related to a small minority of young and often juvenile offenders. We know who most of them are and have been working hard to ensure that positive and robust action is taken.

“These issues, however, are not a problem that police can solve alone, which is why we are grateful for the continued support from our partner agencies including social services and housing teams, schools, local councils and the Kent and Medway Violence Reduction Unit.

“Our officers and PCSOs will continue to patrol local parks, streets and known anti-social behaviour hotspots and we also continue to urge residents to report any incidents to us. This is so important, as it helps build an accurate picture of where there may be persistent problems.”