COUNCIL chiefs in York are getting an average of more than 40 calls a month about graffiti problems, but claim they are winning the war with the vandals.

Graffiti hotspots are being targeted by City of York Council staff in a month-long Neighbourhood Pride initiative.

They have already addressed 20 problem areas across the city, including road signs, walls, benches, street lights and bus shelters.

They are urging residents to continue reporting cases, so they can be cleaned up.

Andrew Waller, the council's executive member for neighbourhood services, said they were taking a firm stance against the problem.

He said: "We are keeping on top of it. It will never go away but, by being proactive, compared to other cities of our size, I would say we have had significantly less."

Coun Waller said graffiti was being removed quicker than in the past, and said there were fewer cases of street furniture being targeted.

He said: "I would say that cable boxes are cleaner than they were four years ago, when pretty much every one in most areas had graffiti on it."

Coun Waller said it was important to adopt a zero- tolerance approach to graffiti, because alternative policies had been unsuccessful elsewhere.

He said: "I know there are debates about whether having a sacrificial wall would help.

"I have not seen any evidence that that would make any difference.

"Brighton and Copenhagen both have such a wall and both report that there is much more graffiti after that initiative."

The opposition spokesperson for neighbourhood services criticised the council's record.

Labour councillor Ruth Potter said: "The fact the Liberal Democrats had to launch a campaign to remove graffiti is an admission of guilt from the start that they are not doing their job properly. Last month, 30 residents reported graffiti as part of the last Christmas postcard campaign that the Lib Dems launched. Graffiti that is occurring in the city should just be removed."

She said she had recently visited Carr's Lane, near Micklegate, and found it blighted by graffiti and unswept.

"I have recently been to Carr's Lane, following complaints from residents about the street not being swept, to find that it is also covered in graffiti," she said.

Coun Waller said: "Yet again, Coun Potter tries to forget how neglected streets were before York Pride, and it is especially dishonest as when she was in power Labour refused to set any public targets for graffiti removal.

"I am pleased that under the Lib Dem administration, York Pride has set these targets for removal of graffiti, and thanks to the efforts of our staff and the public we are achieving them."