GRAFFITI is widespread in Redbridge and the council is adding £100,000 to the £98,000 budget to stop the trend.

Mobile CCTV cameras will be used to keep a close eye on the borough's graffiti hot spots and catch out offending vandals, and a full time officer could be appointed to focus solely on tackling the problem.

These provisional plans set out by the community safety and environment scrutiny committee were approved by Redbridge Council's cabinet last week.

There are also proposals to implement the payback scheme which would see offenders removing graffiti and repainting defaced surfaces.

Cllr Michelle Dunn for Wanstead ward, who sat on the committee, said: "Graffiti is becoming an increasing problem within our community.

"One of our aims is to reduce graffiti in the borough by educating young people, highlighting its anti-social and destructive nature, to show people the damage it causes and raise awareness of the disreverence."

Raising awareness of the problem can also be done on the council website, Redbridge I, where people will be invited to log reports of graffiti sitings in a graffiti charter, get advice, and order graffiti removal kits.

The council's street scene team will continue to fight the unlawful art, and other agencies and departments within the council will work together on the issue.

Cllr Mrs Cole said: "I agree that certainly more resources are needed and more importantly perhaps, a dedicated officer to spearhead this battle, and it is a battle which is an ongoing one in certain areas."