The issue of graffiti continues to divide opinion. For every person who sees it as an eyesore, you'll find someone else who views it as decoration or even art. The elusive and now internationally renowned graffiti artist Banksy is now exhibited in galleries worldwide; in the 1980s, Jean-Michel Basquiat became the toast of the New York art scene after his graffiti was spotted on the city's subway trains.

This makes any event around graffiti removal a potentially contentious one. It's important to be aware of this before you embark on a clean-up. You may want to consult with the local community before taking any action - in some rare instances, graffiti may be seen as an expression of pride in an area, rather than a sign of neglect and disrespect.

Despite these important points, it should be remembered that it is illegal to draw on a wall or other surface without the permission of its owner. And most of what is classed as graffiti is a long way from being art - more often than not it involves offensive comments or gang 'tags' which many people find ugly and threatening.

What can you do about graffiti?

Report it
Your local council is responsible for graffiti removal from public buildings and monuments. If you have a problem with graffiti in your area, you should report it to them. In some cases, the council may also be able to help you with graffiti on private buildings.

Remove it
Graffiti is often difficult to remove and requires specialist skills to do so. While low-level graffiti can be tackled with a tough scrubbing brush and a lot of elbow grease, most requires special equipment if you want to get the job done properly.

If you want to organise an event that involves removing graffiti from private property, you should still contact your local council. While they may not remove the graffiti for free as they would on council property, that doesn't mean they won't be able to help:

> They may offer to remove the graffiti but charge for the service.

> If the council cleansing department can't remove it themselves, they may be able to offer advice on the best way to do so and also what preventative measures you can take to stop more graffiti.

> The council may also be able to recommend specialist private contractors who could carry out the job for you.

> If you think your team of volunteers can tackle the job themselves, the council may be able to advise on the hire of cleansing equipment.

Learn more about graffiti removal
Because of its scale and the practical complexities of its removal, graffiti is a major issue for most council cleansing departments.

Many have departments specifically responsible for dealing with the problem and have a mechanism for reporting it, often through the council's website.

For those council's that need it, Keep Britain Tidy runs graffiti removal training courses. These courses are also open to members of the public who want to do more to improve where they live. The courses can provide equipment, information and tips on how to remove graffiti.