AFTER painting his gate with fresh white paint, Vitalis Karanja was shocked to see vandals had spray painted over it.

But Mr Karanja, known as George, tackled the problem head on and came up with a clever solution.

He invited youngsters doing graffiti in the street into his Manchester Road home and told them they could paint all over one of his garage doors as long as they left the neighbouring property - which he also owns - clean.

George, 36, who is a learning support worker at Swindon College, said: "One time I was walking by three boys and saw them spraying something and invited them around.

"About six boys came over and I said I'll give them somewhere to write if they stop spraying signs everywhere.

"I deliberately painted the other one white again to see if they did any there.

"But they haven't touched it.

"There is no new graffiti anywhere near now.

"I have given them the back side of my house to do what they like and display their artwork on.

"If they are doing it on the designated area then I am happy for them. They have been really good in sticking to it.

"It is when they don't have anywhere to spray that they start to be a nuisance."

"The stuff they have been painting is much better too, because they are getting the chance to practise their skills, rather than just tagging their names."

George said his neighbours also liked the graffiti wall, and described the designs as "beautiful".

"I don't know what the pictures are of but they look really good. They come and paint over them about once a month so it is like a constantly changing piece of modern art," said George.

"All of the community came out to see them when they were first up.

"Everyone really likes them, even people who wouldn't normally like graffiti, but because it is keeping the paint off everywhere else.

"There is at least 90 per cent less graffiti in the local area now and what is there is old, from before. When people clean it up it doesn't get painted over anymore."

George suggested that council-run sites for graffiti artists to practise their skills, could stop the current spate of tagging in Swindon.

"In my work I have to deal with all sorts of young people and you have to find a way to communicate with them, and find solutions that benefit everyone.

"I really think the council should set up some places for them to paint legally."