City leaders have stepped up their war on graffiti by targeting the owners of vandalised buildings.

The Government is giving new powers to Brighton and Hove City Council to serve notices on owners obliging them to allow council cleaners on to the property to clear up graffiti.

The power, which is part of the Antisocial Behaviour Act 2003, has been trialled by 12 authorities around the country and is due to come into effect in Brighton and Hove in March.

Robin Wileman, 48, of Gloucester Road, Brighton, said the wall outside his front door had been daubed with graffiti about six times.

He said: "The minute I come out and see it I paint over it without even thinking about it so that it is not seen by anyone because that is what they want.

"If they realise when they graffiti there no one gets to see it, they'll soon realise there is no point.

"That is what we should be doing as a community - working together to get rid of this problem."

"It cost me about 40p in paint to get rid of. People should take responsibility for their own space rather than expect the council to sort it out."

One pub owner, who did not wish to be named for fear of reprisals, has come up with his own solution to the vandals after 37 years in North Laine.

He has had so many problems with graffiti on his pub that he put a special coating on the walls to make it easier to clean off.

He said: "Whenever I go out and wipe it off it just appears again the next day so there is no incentive to do it."

A motion to be discussed at the full council meeting on Thursday also proposes adopting methods used by Wandsworth Borough Council in London, where a zero-tolerance approach is combined with an education programme for young people on the issues surrounding graffiti.

It was proposed by Ted Kemble, Conservative councillor for Wish ward, and seconded by Averil Older, Conservative councillor for central Hove.

Coun Older said: "There must be something wrong with the people that do this. Even beautiful old buildings are defaced. I think it's disgusting."

Coun Older said she made no distinction between big artistic pieces and tagging, where a few letters or symbols are signed.

She said: "I would like to get rid of it all."

Gill Mitchell, the council's environment chief, said: "Tagging in particular is a terrible nuisance. It makes people feel unsafe and it is on the increase.

"We welcome the powers provided by the Antisocial Behaviour Act.

"In the meantime, we will continue to arrest and prosecute offenders."

But David Samuel, who set up the Rarekind graffiti art gallery and clothing shop in North Street, Brighton, with the help of the Prince's Trust, said a confrontational attitude was not the answer.

He said: "If the council really wants to solve this issue, they need to communicate with the people that are doing the graffiti.

"We could work together to come up with a solution which would actually work."

Mr Samuel, 25, said graffiti was a cultural art form that could have a hugely positive effect on the lives of vulnerable young people.

He said: "I had been in trouble with the police for shoplifting and worse but then I discovered graffiti.

"The graffiti crowd were in a different area of London and were a lot nicer. None of them were stealing or carrying knives.

"I realised I had to get out."

Mr Samuel appreciated that tagging was an eyesore but said more understanding was needed about why youngsters did it.

He said: "It's all about self-confidence. All they want is to be noticed.

"People do not have a clue about where taggers come from and that's where the fear comes from.

"Adults need to take time to sit down and listen to what they want.

"Tagging is the first thing you learn to do when you decide to become a graffiti artist.

"I'm not condoning it but you have to start somewhere. Even Monet and Rembrandt had to practise."

He insisted the more the council cleaned walls the more they would get tagged and claimed that walls painted with large murals would not be tagged again.