BANKSY – is it art or graffiti?

It appears that in many parts of the UK there has been a sudden increase in level graffiti appearing across our neighbourhoods. In North East Lincolnshire we are determined to tackle the problem once and for all!

Anybody caught daubing graffiti on buildings in North East Lincolnshire now has the option to clean it off themselves, rather than pay a fine.

These three 14-year-old girls - all from Grimsby’s Nunsthorpe estate - were caught out, and opted to clean up their act.

They spent yesterday scrubbing their scribblings off walls around Grimsby as punishment.

The young people concerned cannot be identified for legal reasons, but one told the Grimsby Evening Telegraph, and said: “It’s something to do because there’s nothing to do around here. I don’t think I’ll do it again though, it does look scruffy.

“It’s put me off, with having to clean it off. It’s not going to be easy work.”

Each year the council sets a budget of £50,000 just for the removal of graffiti. The money collected from the fines will go towards this total, in particular the chemicals to clean it off, which are costly.

Councillor Steve Beasant, portfolio holder for communities and neighbourhoods, said: “I am pleased that the people who seem intent on making a mess on our streets are the ones being told to clean it up.

“Hopefully this will act as a deterrent to other like-minded vandals - we are watching and we will take strong action to rid the community of unsightly daubs and scribbles.”    

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Andrew De Freitas, said: “Graffiti blights our communities and is an example of anti-social behaviour at its worst.

“I am fully in support of this action by the neighbourhood community wardens, and hope it teaches the perpetrators a valuable lesson about respecting property that belongs to others.”

Graffiti has become even more popular over recent years, with the rise of rebel artists such as Banksy, who sold a wall daubed with his artwork for £200,000 earlier this year. He and other artists recently launched the Cans Festival in a tunnel near Waterloo, London, depicting their work.