Eyesore roadside boxes covered with graffiti are to be removed after pressure from The Argus.

Communications firm NTL has hundreds of boxes dotted around Worthing but has done little to clear the multi-coloured assortment of graffiti 'tags' they attract.

The company would not give local authorities permission to smarten up the boxes and months have passed since they were vandalised.

Now, after The Argus and Worthing councillors urged NTL to act, senior managers have decided to replace 20 of the worst affected boxes in the town centre next week but have not revealed how it plans to tackle the ongoing problem.

Borough council leader Sheila Player said: "This is better late than never. I hope they are the first 20 of hundreds in Worthing.

"Surely replacing 20 boxes must cost about the same as repainting 100. If they had a proper maintenance programme, they would not be in the mess they are in now."

On Monday, a council report announced how spray painting and anti-social behaviour was being successfully targeted in Worthing.

The report stated in the past seven months 5,040 tags were removed by graffiti hit squads.

Coun Player said: "Wherever you get an NTL box, it looks a disgrace. It's a shame the way they are letting the area down."

Cliff Harrison, Worthing's assistant director of property services, confirmed the council had met with senior NTL managers who proposed a number of solutions to the graffiti problem.

Mr Harrison said: "We talked the whole issue through and they said they had three or four different solutions in May.

"I said we needed to be more conclusive and I have not had a response from them.

"But things are looking positive because they are prepared to do something. It's a question of what that is exactly."

An NTL spokeswoman said: "We have been working with the council over the past few months to put a plan into action and that begins next week with the replacements.

"We are very much behind the council and want to see an improvement with the street furniture.

"All over the South-East of England, we are working with councils on this issue."

Coun Brian McLuskie said: "I'm pleased with the report. It shows our very positive approach regarding graffiti and anti-social drinking. We had a lot of comments about the low amount of graffiti from residents all over the town and some are amazed at what a difference it has made."