Peter WalshThe owner of a Norwich hairdressing salon has hit out at youngsters who have turned a picturesque city lane into a graffiti wall belonging to a ghetto.Peter Walsh

The owner of a hairdressing salon has hit out at youngsters who have turned a picturesque city lane into a graffiti wall belonging to a ghetto.

People walking down Weavers Lane, off Gentleman's Walk, Norwich, could be forgiven for thinking they had been transported into some type of slum with red, black, and green spray paint daubed over cream walls of the back of buildings.

Mr Patrick Ladies Hair Styling is one of the businesses along the lane, but unlike the other shop, its entrance is on the lane where the worst of the graffiti can be seen.

The hairdressing salon, which is painted a distinctive pink colour, has been targeted in the past although much of the graffiti has been painted over by the owners.

Patrick Bolton, one of the owners of the shop, said the graffiti was an eyesore which not only blighted their lives but those of customers too.

He said: 'It's been there a good year now and it's been added to - you get one bit and then it's added to. We get it regularly on the shop front, but paint over it.

'We're absolutely fed up with it. It seems to come in swathes. Youngsters get to a certain age when they want to put paint on walls then they grow up and others have a go. It's not nice for the shop, the customers or anyone.'

Weavers Lane is not far from Hay Hill where comic Eddie Izzard visited last week to help wish Norwich luck in its bid to become the UK's first City of Culture.

Mr Izzard, who recently ran 43 marathons in 51 days to raise money for Sport Relief, said: 'I happily say good luck to Norwich in trying to pick up the City of Culture.'

A spokeswoman for Norwich City Council said: 'Removing graffiti around the city costs the taxpayer more than �60,000 each year, which is a significant amount of money that could be spent on making improvements to other services.

'It is disappointing that some people feel the need to spoil the city for everyone else, by carrying out illegal graffiti on public and private property, especially when we provide areas which we allow people to do this legally.

'We would encourage anyone who witnesses graffiti being carried out to call either the council or the police so that the case can be fully investigated.'

The city council removes graffiti from council property and public areas. 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 graffiti removal team will assess work to decide on the most appropriate form of removal. This could be painting over the graffiti, using a special chemical to dissolve it (provided the surface underneath is not then damaged), or pressure washing.

Has your life been blighted by graffiti? Call reporter Peter Walsh on 01603 772436 or email peter.walsh@archant.co.uk