When town hall bosses unleashed graffiti artists to redecorate their park they may have been hoping for a Banksy-style mural on the cheap.

What they ended up with fell somewhat short - a vandalised playground and a clean-up bill expected to run easily into five figures.

Brighton and Hove City Council opened up Tarner Park in Brighton, to a group of spray-can Cezannes in the hope of creating an artistic masterpiece.

But council officials have admitted the artists "didn't play ball" and not only the park, but surrounded trees, hedges and streets were daubed in ugly graffiti.

Now - a whole 18 months later - the council has decided to spare the community more woe and has insisted enough is enough.

A spokeswomman for the council said: "We met us with the artists a year and a half ago and agreed to make the park a tolerated zone where they could express themselves.

"But within months, word got around and people were coming from other counties to spray the park. Drafts of people were coming by train with rucksacks full of spray paint.

"Soon it wasn't just the park that was covered but a whole trail along the streets, walls and hedges leading to the park.

"They covered the children's play facilities in paint so parents didn't want to let their kids go on them." When asked quite what the council's expectations had been at the start of the project, the authority pointed to the other "managed" graffiti areas in Kensington Street and at the New England Development by Brighton train station.

The spokeswoman said: "We quickly realised the difference between looking at designs, talking them through with artists and organising particular days for them to be painted with saying anything goes, we'll leave you to your own devices'."

The council is now facing an estimated bill of £14,000 to have the graffiti cleaned off.

The council says the clean-up will take about a month. David Roberts, managing director of M and D Ltd, one of London's biggest graffiti removal companies said: "It's a huge job. It will require high-tech equipment and I would give an estimated quote of £14,000 or more."

Tory councillor Geoffrey Theobald said: "The council is committed to taking a stand against all form of criminal damage."

The council now faces the problem of spreading the word that graffiti is no longer tolerated in the park.

The park still appears on websites like ifimages.com and YouTube as a place "where graffiti is allowed".

The authority said: "It looks like we will have to get a police patrol. Fortunately there is a police station nearby."