CRIMINALS will clean graffiti off walls and get chewing gum off pavements in North Devon as part of a new "community payback" project.

The Positive Response Improving Devon Environment (PRIDE) scheme was officially launched on Friday last week.

The scheme is being supported by police, probation, councils, the fire service, and the crime reduction organisation Safer North Devon.

Criminals already work with probation officers to make amends by doing unpaid work in the community, which can include scrubbing graffiti off walls.

Now, the public will be able to phone the local council to request that offenders remove graffiti.

The PRIDE team has also secured a grant to spend £26,000 on a new graffiti-removal machine, which will also be used by firefighters to clean-up after blazes. The machinery will not be suitable for all surfaces, but should improve the standard of work.

Pat Barker (Cons), North Devon Council's lead member for environmental health and protection, said: "I think this is excellent. The idea of payback is something I really do support. If you raise the look of an environment then people will keep it better."

And Superintendent Kevin Harris, North Devon local policing area commander, who was also at the launch of PRIDE, said: "If you get these small things right and make people feel good about where they live, there is a spin-off of positive attitudes. And there's a bit of justice seen to be done."

He said it would be particularly appropriate if people convicted of graffiti offences ended-up using the new machine, which is due to be delivered later this month.

● If you see graffiti you want removed, phone North Devon Council on 01271 374776 or Torridge District Council on 01237 42873.