Teresa Stratton with the graffiti on her garage Picture Ref: 77393-03THE fight against Swindon's graffiti epidemic is about to get serious, with the Government stepping in with much-needed cash.

Cheri Wright, who heads Swindon's Crime and Disorder Unit, has confirmed that the Home Office will be providing thousands of pounds specifically to fight graffiti in the town.

Next week she will be revealing the exact amount of cash and how the Action Area Graffiti Project will tackle the problem.

The announcement comes after the Advertiser reported that West Swindon was being defaced with tagging.

The police reported that no flat surface in the area remained untouched by the scrawl.

The finer points of the anti-graffiti project still need to be ironed out when Mrs Wright meets different stakeholders, including the police and the council.

But she believes that the extra cash will go towards targeting taggers, finding ways of preventing graffiti happening by looking at the reasons behind it, as well as helping get the mess cleared up.

Swindon has received the money from the Home Office having been named as an anti-social behaviour action area earlier this year for all its good work to tackle the problems.

Even West Swindon's police station hasn't escaped the epidemic with the messy scrawl appearing all over it.

According to police officers, there are only five or six main tags throughout the West Swindon area meaning only five or six yobs are responsible.

And the people of Swindon are being called on to name and shame these yobs by calling the Advertiser-supported It's Your Call hotline.

Mrs Wright said: "I think saying that these yobs do this because they have nothing better to do is only an excuse. The majority of youths don't do this, it is only this mindless minority.

"It's not just West Swindon as this is a problem that affects areas across the town, but some areas are worse off than others.

"It really does bring down the quality of people's lives if they are always surrounded by this and it is definitely a priority.

"The Adver's campaign for the hotline and its campaign against anti-social behaviour, including graffiti, has helped the people of the town take things into their own hands to make Swindon a better place."

Swindon Services recently did a leaflet drop throughout West Swindon informing people how to report graffiti and get it cleaned up.

Anyone who knows who the graffiti artists are should call the Advertiser-backed It's Your Call Line on 0845 605 2222, or Swindon Police on 01793 528111 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Jamie Hill