Bournemouth town centre’s new rapid response anti-graffiti team has been deployed for the first time.

It has been set up and funded by the Town Centre BID to help levy payers with a concerted clean up, the first in a series.

The team set to work at 6am on Monday morning at Avenue Road alongside the Central Gardens.

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Team leader Craig Robinson of CC Infrastructure Services who carry out the work on behalf of the BID said: “Graffiti is a national problem and there is a lot of it around. I think the issue definitely worsened during the pandemic.”

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The team paint on a chemical to dissolve the graffiti and clean it off with high pressure jets in just a few minutes.

A number of other sites were cleaned up in the two day operation including Dalkeith Steps at Richmond Gardens.

The team set to work just a few days after the Town Centre BID won a third five-year term following a vote of levy paying businesses.

In the ballot announced on Thursday, the BID secured 76 percent of votes cast.

Chairman of the Town Centre BID, Martin Davies, said: “Although our new term doesn’t officially begin until July, we are not waiting to launch our new initiatives for our levy paying businesses.

“The anti-graffiti team will make a huge contribution to the appearance and environment of the town centre, something we know is very important to businesses and visitors from all the surveys we have undertaken. It is a top priority for us.”

Mr Davies added: “Rapid response means rapid response. We will be responding as things happen.”

The team does not cover public areas that remain the responsibility of BCP Council.