A PARISH councillor is among those calling for street art legal locations as a possible solution to graffiti after a spate in Warndon Villages in recent weeks.

But the best response to deal with graffiti has divided residents, with some calling for those responsible to be caught and made to clean it up.

The pedestrian bridge over the M5 in Trotshill, business and road signs, and bins are among the locations that have been targeted and plastered with graffiti tags in the last few weeks.

And Warndon resident Gerry Donnelly has pleaded on social media for the graffiti at a bus shelter in Dugdale Drive to stop, after it was tagged three times within just a few weeks.

Warndon Parish Council's vice chairman Andrew Cross highlighted the legal graffiti spots as a potential way to stop it.

"Our local residents cover all ages," Cllr Cross said.

"We are fairly well provided with play parks for toddlers, but for teenagers it's harder. How we engage with them effectively is the million dollar question.

"Graffiti has been increasing recently. There has been the interesting suggestion (from residents) of blank wall places for people to do art and express themselves.

"That would be finding a way to engage with them, addressing their needs, understanding what is behind this and what is needed to sort out something that is expensive to clean up. It may be graffiti is a symptom.

"It has worked elsewhere. Art graffiti is good, with murals, it can work well.

"Graffiti can be an artform - one person's meat is another person's poison.

"I'm open to learning more, finding a decent solution."

Councils across the country have previously tried the devoted areas, known as "free walls" which graffiti artists use without fear of punishment, with reportedly varying success.

Jon Fraser, Worcestershire Highways manager at Worcestershire County Council, said he understood the graffiti on the bridge is to cleaned by Highways England, but as it was non offensive it would not have been prioritised.

He added Worcester City Council staff are often deployed to clean up graffiti in locations such as the bus shelter, as workers have the specialised equipment for the job.

Jon Wheeler wrote on social media about the bridge graffiti saying: "Fresh Graffiti tags. I didn't wanna come across as a fuddy duddy, but it just looks untidy."

Commenting on the bus shelter graffiti Rose Winwood said: "They should be caught and made to clean it off" while Tracy Giles added: "Bit of community service in order, cleaning up the graffiti, once they catch the little toe rags."

West Mercia Police's safer neighbour team for Warndon Villages was contacted for comment, but no one was available.