Wanted '“ graffiti fighter to keep town blooming

Interviews for the new role were held on Mondayby the town council. It is hoped the successful applicant will be in place by the end of the month to start getting rid of the unsightly spray paint sights.

The new position is being organised by the town council with 10,000 of funding from both Arun and West Sussex councils.

The person's role will be to wipe out any graffiti anywhere within the Arun district west of the River Arun.

The level of graffiti around Bognor has been kept under control in the past five years by the arrival of the Town Force team. But its members have combined the work with the rest of their duties in maintaining and improving the central area.

They will still be involved in graffiti when a large amount is involved.

The arrival of the graffiti removal operative has been overseen by the town council's projects officer, Paul Beckerson, as part of the council's increased efforts to repeat its successes in the South and South East in Bloom competitions of the past two years.

Bognor's successive wins in the coastal resort category has seen it placed in the ultimate champion of champions section. This will see it take on inland contenders, such as Horsham, as well as those on the coast.

The town is among the 12 contenders in the coastal resorts section of Britain in Bloom for the second year in a row. A silver medal was gained in last year's initial entry in the national competition. Mr Beckerson said improving the appearance of Bognor by taking away graffiti would play a valuable role in maintaining Bognor as one of the south east's top In Bloom towns.

'The competitions are as much about the appearance of the street scene as they are flowers,' he explained. 'They are about cleanliness and the look of a place, not just about having loads of hanging baskets.

'The dedicated graffiti removal operative will ensure that niggly pieces of graffiti on places such as CCTV camera posts and lamp posts can be got rid off. Graffiti on private and public property will be tackled.'

The town council has also organised a competition to create a community garden on the wasteland next to the Bognor Youth and Community Club in Westloats Lane.

Shrubs had been put in as well to replace dying trees around the Home Zone area in Gravits Lane. But there would be no large-scale creation of flowerbeds for this year.

'We need to be able to maintain what we have got,' said Mr Beckerson, 'rather than constantly be creating new areas.'

Some 50 individuals and business representatives attended Tuesday's launch at the town hall of this year's In Bloom campaigns.

The occasion was used to urge them to play their parts in helping to make Bognor a brighter and prettier place in the coming months.

Bognor's town mayor, Cllr John Hayward, said: 'Of course, Bognor has got to look nice. Every person that comes into this town wants a nice looking place.

'One way we can achieve that is through the flowers and everything else we can put in to make the place look good.

'It's a nice town and it's a good thing to have it looking as nice as we can.'