It has been around for millions of years with the Romans writing on the walls of buildings they conquered and cavemen drawing illustrations on the walls.

But in modern day, graffiti is seen as a nuisance by many, with the city council in Brighton and Hove claiming they spend £40,000 removing graffiti and fly-posters from public buildings every year.

In January 2000 an internet site was launched on graffiti hotspots in Brighton and Hove – even advising people where they could buy the paint.

The Tatty Seaside Town website – still running today – carried pictures of the more artistic graffiti to be found in the town and insisted it was not out to encourage any illegal activity.

Councillor Pat Hawkes, who campaigned against graffiti, even admitted that some of the designs were artistic.

Hove police officers also endorsed street art in November 2000, when they gave youths cans of paint and told themto cover a derelict park pavilion in graffiti.

The Argus:

The aim of the project was to showyoungsters how to channel their creative talents so they could express themselves without ruining their own neighbourhood.

Rob Georgeson, 12, of Hangleton Way, was among the crowd of more than 20 young people who joined in the event at Hangleton Park. He said: “It’s great that we can spray graffiti without getting into trouble.”

However, over the years hundreds of graffiti artists have been caught and punished by the police. One of the most prolific cases was the hunt for the vandal bouncing doughnut in 2001.

The tagger was known by his distinctive “bouncing doughnut” symbol and his signature TFW.

The Argus:

Brighton City Centre Business Forum grew so tired of the art they offered a £500 reward for the capture of the renowned artist and The Argus did their bit by putting up hundreds of posters around the city.

In 2003 The Argus declared their own war on graffiti taggers in the city. They joined with the police, city council and the Government to declare enough is enough.

The campaign was called Tell on Taggers and was aimed at unmasking the culprits by printing their work and urging people to come forward.

It received recognition from Home Office minister Hazel Blears, who said: “This looks like an excellent initiative and I wish The Argus every success with its campaign.”

Therehave since been thousands of tags appearing almost dailyaround Brighton,andthe different forms of deterrence do not appear to work.

 

ON THIS DAY

 

1790: The first US Census is conducted.

1916: World War I: Austrian sabotage causes the sinking of the Italian battleship Leonardo da Vinci in Taranto.

1922: A typhoon hits Shantou, Republic of China killing more than 50,000.

1939: Albert Einstein and Leó Szilárd write a letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt, urging him to begin the Manhattan Project to develop a nuclear weapon.

1985: Delta Air Lines Flight 191, a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar crashes at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport killing 137.

1990: Iraq invades Kuwait, eventually leading to the Gulf War.

The Argus’ popular “Looking Back” feature has been compiled into an A4, soft back book which catalogues the events that have made their mark on the people of Sussex. The fascinating archive of “Looking Back” images dates back to the 1930s when The Argus first started to print photographs. The book costs £6.99 including postage and packing. To order please visit theargus.co.uk/store

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