The Law Catches Up with the Elusive Graffiti Vandal Known as ‘Wormy’

Published on: 11 Sep, 2026
Updated on: 11 Sep, 2026

Wormy’s signature near the river. Tagging is where a signature is spray-painted in a stylised manner onto a wall, bus shelter, statue or any other surface. It can have the effect of claiming the area is in the tagger’s territory.

The prolific graffiti tagger known as “Wormy” has been convicted by a court for the criminal damage that scarred public spaces and historic buildings throughout Guildford town centre in 2025.

An extensive police investigation revealed that the culprit was 21-year-old Liam Cavanagh, from Guildford.

Cavanagh appeared at the town’s magistrates court this week (Tuesday, September 8) and was handed a community order, requiring him to complete 100 hours of unpaid work for his extensive graffiti campaign.

A police statement said: “Guildford Borough Council and our police Proactive Investigation Team worked tirelessly in partnership to ensure the elusive offender was identified, prosecuted and ultimately held accountable. The sentence ensures he must now actively give back to the community he defaced.”

It was in April 2025 that the Guildford Dragon reported the local outrage caused by by the tagger known as Wormy – who had been leaving his signature all around Guildford.

Wormy’s mark under Friary Bridge

Tagging – such as the graffiti displayed by Cavanagh – is often associated with the perpetrator’s identification and can be seen as an arrogant and blatant disrespect of the law and, in turn, is acknowledged as antisocial.

Graffiti is classed as an illegal act, covered by the Criminal Damage Act 1971 and punishable by a large fine, community service order or even imprisonment for more serious cases.

Thanking the police, council leader Cllr Julia McShane said the case showed that vandalism will not be tolerated in Guildford.

“The scale of this vandalism had a significant impact not only on our town centre and surrounding areas, but also on our residents and businesses,” she said. “It damaged public spaces, affected local businesses and defaced many of the historic features that make Guildford such a special place.

Cllr Julia McShane

“Residents rightly expect their borough to be clean, welcoming and well cared for. This outcome sends a clear message that vandalism will not be tolerated in Guildford, and that those responsible will be held accountable for their actions.

“I would like to thank our officers and partners for their persistence and commitment in bringing this case to a successful conclusion.”

Police Constable Joe Pettifor said: “We know how much pride our community takes in Guildford and how frustrating it is to see public spaces vandalised. We remain committed to robustly tackling anti-social behaviour.

“Criminal damage like this places a significant operational and financial burden on the town, but thanks to our close partnership working we have ensured that the individual responsible is facing the consequences of his actions.”