John Phillips AN ANTI-GRAFFITI czar is to be employed in Barking and Dagenham, on a �61,000 a year salary and in charge of a �13million budget. The street scene manager with proven budget-handling skills will clamp down on envirocrime and rid graffiti tags plaguing t

John Phillips

AN ANTI-GRAFFITI czar is to be employed in Barking and Dagenham, on a �61,000 a year salary and in charge of a �13million budget.

The street scene manager "with proven budget-handling skills" will clamp down on envirocrime and rid graffiti tags plaguing the borough.

The advert was posted on the LocalGov website as council chiefs are conducting a blitz of graffiti-ridden bridges with the probation service and Network Rail.

Offenders have been working three days a week wiping off tags on railway footbridges including one in St Marks Place, Dagenham, as part of payback drive giving new skills to offenders.

Environment executive member Labour Cllr Milton McKenzie said: "The removal of the graffiti from bridges in the borough will benefit the local community by making it cleaner and safer for residents.

"Offenders who undertake unpaid work as part of their community order are paying something back to the community they have harmed, as well as being given the opportunity to develop new skills.

"These skills improve an offender's chances of getting a job, a proven way to reduce the risk of reoffending."

Council graffiti supervisor Ron Mansfield added: "Graffiti is the most common type of property vandalism and is expensive to remove.

"The partnership is proving a great success and we are all working extremely well to make the borough a better place to live and work.

"If you need to report a graffiti incident, please contact Barking and Dagenham Direct on 020 8215 3000."

Applications for the anti-graffiti czar close on Monday, April 6.