GRAFFITI is a nuisance that quickly makes a town look shabby. Once vandals start spraying, it can spread remarkably fast unless checked.

Some councils offer grants to home owners so that they can get rid of graffiti quickly, and Tory councillor Brian Oxley has asked Brighton and Hove to consider this. The danger is that in a big conurbation like Brighton and Hove the council would be letting itself in for a large bill. It really is up to owners of private property to get rid of the graffiti themselves and most of them do it because they want their homes and businesses to look good. But a lot of graffiti is sprayed on to public property such as buildings and bus shelters. Here the best remedy is prompt and repeated action by the authorities concerned. The police can, by lying in wait, catch graffiti vandals who return night after night to repeat their crimes and that is often the best deterrent of all.

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