A campaign to rid the city of the unsightly blight of graffiti is to carry on in tribute to the man who helped spearhead the project.

The Evening News Graffitibusters campaign, supported by Norwich police along with Norwich City Council, the Central Norwich Citizens Forum and the Norwich City Centre Partnership, was launched earlier this year.

The campaign, which urged volunteers to give time and money to help paint out graffiti-hotspots in Norwich, was very much a labour of love for the late Julian Foster, chairman of the city centre safer neighbourhood action panel (SNAP), who died from cancer this month.

The 80-year-old, who was also chairman of the central Norwich Citizen's Forum, was one of the campaign's key players and even donated �500 of his own money to purchase paint for volunteers to clean up the city.

Prior to Mr Foster's death, the city centre's safer neighbourhood team agreed to extend graffiti as one of its priorities for another three months and today Sergeant Pete Sharples said they would honour that decision by continuing with the paint-outs.

He said: 'We look forward to continuing our paint-out campaign into the New Year, encompassing the whole of Norwich in time, which was very much inspired by the hard work and enthusiasm of Julian Foster.'

Sgt Sharples urged volunteers wanting to help out in the next two paint-outs, Sunday, January 8 and Sunday, January 15, to get in touch. Volunteers should meet at Bethel Street Police Station at 11.45am for a noon start.

The news comes as it emerged a man has been arrested in connection with an incident of criminal damage where racially offensive slogans were sprayed on a marble wall at Marks and Spencer in Rampant Horse Street, Norwich. Police are still appealing for witnesses to the incident which happened at about 10.30am on Thursday, December 15, with people urged to call PC Ross McNally on 101.

Anyone interested in taking part in paint-outs should call 101 or email sntcitycentre@norfolk.pnn.police.uk.

To find out more about Graffitibusters visit www.eveningnews24.co.uk and click on campaigns.