Graffiti busters are winning the war against unsightly scrawlings in Brighton and Hove.

In some areas the amount of graffiti has declined by 50 per cent thanks to a strategy involving police, Brighton and Hove City Council, local businesses and the probation service.

One factor in the decline has been the distribution of 100 anti-graffiti boxes to shops and businesses, containing everything they need to scrub off graffiti.

High profile prosecutions of graffiti taggers have also helped.

Two of the main offenders in Brighton, responsible for writing "Tok" and" TYni" throughout the city were recently sentenced to 60 hours' community service for their crimes.

The Brighton City Centre Business Forum, which has been at the forefront of the campaign to rid the city of unsightly graffiti, has been monitoring the situation in the North Laine area.

It devised a "graffiti quotient", indicating the problem in each main commercial street.

The GQ ranged from 0 to 40 during the October survey. While some streets in North Laine still have a nil GQ, the survey shows a marked decline in the worst areas since March.

Overall, there has been a drop of 50 per cent.

The average GQ for North Laine in March was just under eight. Now it has declined to below four.

Andrew Bird, of the North Laine Traders' Association, said: "This is a great achievement.

"All the businesses that have cleaned graffiti off their own properties are to be congratulated, but we must not be complacent.

"We still have more graffiti to tackle and we are determined to do it. When graffiti appears, it is important that it is removed as quickly as possible"

Tony Mernagh, Brighton city centre manager, said: "The reduction in graffiti is a result of the police, council, businesses and other agencies working together.

"The city is looking better as a result. No way are we crowing about our success - there is a lot still to clear up."