75538-88Cleaning graffiti off walls would not be everybody's first choice at 8.30am on a cold windy day.

But every day the council's graffiti team are out and about doing just that all over the town.

First call is a subway in Peatmoor. The subway itself was repainted last week but the wall outside is covered in tags which need cleaning off to make the whole area graffiti free.

Geoff Davies, team leader, enforcement and recycling in Swindon Services, who overseas the graffiti busters, says it is important to clean up areas like this.

"Sometimes graffiti is just accepted as part of urban life and people don't complain," he said.

"You get the sense of people giving up sometimes but it is a quality of life issue. People won't use a graffiti-covered subway because it makes them feel less safe."

A mild acid brushed onto the wall and then there is the wait in the cold for the acid to do its work, but then comes the fun part a high-powered jet spray to blast off the loosened paint.

Red and black paint are the hardest to remove and softer surfaces are harder to clean.

It costs the council about £70 in materials and labour to clean a wall. But with even the black outlines completely removed by the jet it is on to the next job and a new role for the council graffiti team.

The council has recently re-allocated £40,000 from its IT budget into the graffiti cleaning team and this has allowed it to offer a new service to Swindon homeowners.

Until now they have had to pay to have graffiti on their property removed but the council will now do this for free.

"When we go into an estate it is frustrating that we leave our parts clean but other bits of graffiti are still there," said Mr Davies.

"This will put an end to that. We have always wanted to do it but we have never had the resources. Now we have I think it is going to make a difference."

The team has already received 20 requests from private households just over the Christmas period and they are hoping that as awareness of the service grows more people will come to them.

But they are not just waiting for the calls to come into them, they are also out and about spotting graffiti they may be able to help with.

So from the subway it is on to a private house just off Freshbrook Way.

Carl Aker was delighted when the council turned up on his doorstep offering to clean his wall.

"I have lived here for seven years and the graffiti has been there for at least all that time," Mr Aker, 37, said.

"Last summer I attempted to have a go at it and I got some off but it just takes so long.

"Then I got a knock at the door, it was brilliant."

Mr Baker, who works at Honda, was told by the council that the cleaning process might affect his wall in some way and was asked to give them the go-ahead to attempt to get the graffiti off.

The cleaning service would have cost Mr Baker about £60 under the old system.

Councillor Justin Tomlinson, lead member for Swindon Services, is pleased he has been able to make such a difference.

"It is one of those times you are glad you are a councillor," he said.

"What has impressed me is that for not a huge amount of money we will be able to make a massive difference to peoples lives."

Graffiti hotline: 01793 463463.

Isabel Field