The coating introduced by Hackney Council will repel liquid, and aims to punish and discourage those who can’t hold it in.
Councillor Feryal Demirci, cabinet member for Neighbourhoods and Sustainability, said: “No-one wants someone weeing on their own doorstep, yet some people continue to do it on the doorsteps of our residents and businesses.
“If the prospect of a fine doesn’t put them off from weeing in the street, maybe the risk of getting covered in urine will.”
Wetspots
Two “wetspots” in Shoreditch and Dalston are being trailled during the busy Christmas and New Year party season.
The council won’t reveal the location of the booby-trapped walls, so anyone who’s looking to break the seal in public will be at risk.
Hackney Council has fined more than 500 people for public urination in 2015 – a threefold increase on last year.
£100,000 a year
It also spends a staggering £100,000 each year washing urine off walls and pavements.
“Come to Hackney and have fun this Christmas and New Year. Please enjoy yourselves safely and think about the people living nearby by keeping the noise down and not weeing in the street,” Demerici added.
The coating also aims to prevent smells, and from the liquid soaking in to the wall.
The ‘peeback’ wall is part of a strategy to tackle the problem, including more public toilets and enforcement.
There are two sets of public toilets in Dalston at Ridley Road Market and Dalston passage, open 24 hours a day. Temporary urinals are available at New Inn Yard, Gillett Square and Anning Street at weekends.
Reminders
Posters have gone up around the borough reminding people not to pee in the street, to drink responsibly and know their limits.
Hackney is the only London borough to be ranked in the local authority Loo of the Year Premier League.