Cleaning graffiti off Whitefriars Bridge in Norwich. Photo: Bill Smith

Graffiti can be tough to remove at the best of times, but when it’s daubed on bridges and walls alongside the city’s river it presents even more of a challenge.

Cleaning graffiti off Whitefriars Bridge in Norwich. Photo: Bill Smith

And that’s where Norwich City Council’s graffiti-busting barge came in, with workers using it to get up and down the River Wensum to get to the unsightly tags.

The barge, which cost the city council £3,500, was provided by May Gurney and staff from council contractor NPS Norwich used special chemicals and high pressure jets to wash the eyesore scrawlings away.

Yesterday, the barge headed from New Mills Yard up to Whitefriars, clearing away the graffiti spotted en route, including near Anchor Quay.

Crews had to use scaffolding to reach a garish red Shook tag which had been painted on the side of the bridge at Whitefriars.

After about 10 minutes, the tag was gone, with workers blasting the graffiti with high-pressure jets of water and a chemical to break down the molecules of the paint.

Carol Jones, the council’s neighbourhood manager for the east, said: “We were getting quite a lot of complaints about the tags from people living in Anchor Quay. A message we want to get across is that it costs us quite a bit to remove this graffiti – this barge has cost us £3,500.

“We would urge people to report it to us when they see graffiti. Our job is about keeping the neighbourhoods tidy and clean and improving people’s quality of life.”

The barge will remain on the Wensum for the rest of the week. A team of workers will use it to clear away weeds and other vegetation which have covered parts of the river bank from New Mills Yard up to Pulls Ferry.

Keith Driver, the city council’s cabinet member for neighbourhood development and community engagement, said: “The Riverside Walk is a beautiful area of the city. To walk down the river is fantastic and it’s a shame when graffiti gives it a bad image. We want people who visit the city to have a nice day out and we do need to keep it looking nice and clean.”

The city council will remove graffiti from council property. Offensive or racist graffiti will be dealt with within 24 hours of being reported and usually on the same day as the report is received,

All other graffiti will be removed within 14 days of the report being received. The city council also works with the probation service to find ways to clean up graffiti elsewhere.

To report any graffiti call 0344 980 3333 or email info@norwich.gov.uk

Are you involved in a project to clean up your community? Call reporter Dan Grimmer on 01603 772375 or email dan.grimmer@archant.co.uk