The war to stop graffiti has started in earnest and it is one that Brighton and Hove must win against the vandals.

It's easy to regard graffiti as harmless since it does not actually harm anyone and nobody is robbed of money or property as a result.

But it drags down an area and if it is unchecked it can lead to a quick decline with an increase in other forms of crime.

That is why it's welcome news that the authorities in Brighton and Hove have had enough. Traders, the police, the city council and youth organisations have combined in a new onslaught.

They are proposing all the things that have needed doing for years, including making some of the vandals remove the results of their handiwork.

Hidden cameras should enable the police to catch more taggers in action while it may be possible for traders to sue offenders for the damage they have caused.

It also helps when home owners or businesses are able to clean up immediately after the taggers have struck so that their work is around for as short a time as possible.

Many taggers seem to get a kick out of seeing their work on display. But they are not artists. They are criminals who are defacing property.

The sooner the romance is taken out of graffiti daubing the better and there is nothing romantic about big fines or prison sentences.