Bideford graffiti artists told to only use designated sites

A designated graffiti wall at Riverbank car park in Bideford

Graffiti artists in Bideford are being told to keep to designated sites or risk being fined.

The warning follows a significant increase in illegal graffiti and tags appearing on walls and buildings throughout the town.

Torridge Council said it was having a detrimental impact on the community and was expensive to remove.

It added that offenders could be charged with criminal damage and face fines of up to £1,000.

Councillors said illegal graffiti was expensive to remove

Bideford has two designated locations where graffiti is permitted.

These include walls near the motorhome section of Riverbank Long Stay Car Park, and at the Skate Park on Kingsley Road.

The council said it was "keen to work with the graffiti artist community to promote the tolerated sites and other forms of artistic expression that are both legal and safe".

Councillor Philip Hackett, lead member of Public Health and Community Safety said: "While permitted graffiti can add cultural value to an area, it's important to note that illegal graffiti and tagging can be a significant challenge in terms of the potential negative impact and costs to clean up.

"The removal of such graffiti requires valuable officer time and tax payer money,"