Graffiti has become nothing short of a menace in Brighton and Hove.

It extends along walls in the town centre and scars park benches, the sides of houses and shopping streets.

The distasteful scourge has left our new city in a shocking state and it is hard to estimate the impression it leaves on visitors.

Police today reveal only a minority of people are responsible for this plague which costs thousands to clear up.

This small group of yobs has been at it for too long and must be stopped.

Now we can start to reclaim our streets with the launch of a strategy to catch the culprits and punish them.

The council and police have pledged to work together to get rid of the mess blighting Brighton and Hove.

For too long different agencies have been arguing and hypothesising about who is responsible for the removal of graffiti.

While these people dither, an army of youngsters continue to deface our living and working environment with consummate ease.

Nobody has tackled the problem at source and convinced youngsters that graffiti is not art unless it is in a controlled and legal environment.

A strategy is now being created to clear the streets once and for all - and only then will we rediscover a sense of pride in our city.