GRAFFITI on all buildings in one city centre road will be removed within a day of it being painted.

Brighton and Hove City Council has pledged that graffiti will be removed or painted over on both public and private property within 24 hours of it appearing.

The council currently only removes graffiti from public property - and from private property when it is deemed to be offensive.

However, a council spokesman said evidence suggests that increased removal of graffiti results in it happening less.

He said: “The council agreed an extra £100,000 of permanent funding earlier this year to enhance our efforts to clean up graffiti.

“The trial is happening on London Road, numbers 1 to 144. We will be monitoring the area daily between 5am and 10pm, seven days a week.

“Any new graffiti will be photographed and either painted over or removed.

“We have contacted all businesses, residents and property owners within the trial area to explain what we’re doing and how they will be affected.

"At the end of the trial, we will assess how effective it has been before considering our next steps.”

Council leader Phelim Mac Cafferty said the trial, which started yesterday, marks the first time graffiti on private as well as public property will be removed by the authority.

He said: “Funding Greens provided is now being put into action as part of a three-month trial for 24-hour graffiti removal on London Road.

“It is the first time the council will remove graffiti from all types of property – public, residential and commercial – within 24 hours of occurring which is understood to be key to deterring the behaviour.

“It is then anticipated to spread this practice over the entire city.”

Earlier this year, the council committed £100,000 towards graffiti removal in its budget.

Speaking ahead of the budget, Green Councillor Tom Druitt said he hoped the removal of graffiti would encourage tourists to visit the city.

He said: “Major projects such as Madeira Terraces are at the centre of our regeneration plans, and we are also proposing to put money into tackling graffiti and making our city more welcoming to visitors.”

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