GRAFFITI hotspots could be covered up with paintings from local artists in a bid to tackle Colchester’s problem with tagging and vandalism.

Colchester councillors asked its cabinet to consider paying professional street artists to paint on walls in areas such as in the Hythe and New Town which are particularly badly affected.

A wider strategy involving the use of light sensors to deter people from spray painting walls, and lobbying Greater Anglia for more CCTV and ticket-checking measures at Colchester Town and Hythe train stations, was also suggested.

The suggestions were made by Labour councillor Lee Scordis and were welcomed by the Conservative-led cabinet.

Mr Scordis told the cabinet graffiti often reappears just weeks after being removed and the council does not have the resources to keep clearing it up.

He said: “Graffiti is a menace that troubles lots of areas of Colchester and my ward, especially in the Hythe and parts of New Town, gets it really bad and it’s always the same areas, always the same hotspots that get it.

“Certain alleyways, certain buildings, they get tagged and targeted by these people.”

Mr Scordis also said Colchester Town and Hythe stations have no ticket barriers, which contributes to why they are so heavily targeted.

Later he used the example of an abandoned electrical facility in Old Heath Recreation Ground, which has been painted by an artist.

Costs for this project had been cheap and the artist was happy to train up others while on the job.

Darius Laws, the councillor responsible for economy, business and heritage, said a similar strategy of using artists to cover up graffiti had been successfully tried in Walthamstow.

He told the meeting: “They deliberately worked with the council and property owners of otherwise redundant, dark corners and alleyways and they designated them as areas where people could create art and, like you say, that meant that people sort of respected them and don’t come along and tag and ruin them.”

He also said the alleyway into the Dutch Quarter by Colchester Castle already has a surface where people are encouraged to leave small artworks or messages.

Council leader Paul Dundas said: “I think we should inquire and make the point to Greater Anglia regarding particularly the Hythe and maybe looking at some ticket enforcements.”