OFFENDERS are being made to clean up graffiti as a part of their punishment.

Pilot project Wipe-out starts across Weymouth and Portland this week and will see supervised offenders removing graffiti as part of their unpaid work punishment.

The project, which runs until October, is being organised by the Western Dorset Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership - a group made up of police, councillors and residents - with support from Dorset's probation service.

"We aim to remove as much graffiti as possible and if this pilot is a success, we hope to roll it out across Dorset to areas such as Dorchester, Sherborne and Bridport," said organiser Neil McKenney from the partnership.

"We have set up a special hotline number so people can call, text or even send a picture of graffiti that needs removing."

The project forms part of Dorset probation service's Community Payback Scheme, which sees offenders paying their community back in different ways for crimes they have committed.

It is hoped removing graffiti will help offenders and residents value the areas where they live and details of what is removed will be given to police to identify those behind individual tag' signatures.

During the crackdown the partnership is supporting the legal graffiti project on Westham's underpass graffiti wall.

Community development worker Julie Hursthouse, of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, said: "We consulted with young people and are working closely with them to find solutions to graffiti problems in our community.

"This project is designed to divert young people from engaging in anti-social behaviour and criminal damage by giving them a community project to work on.

"The subway is the first of many great projects."

Anyone who finds graffiti for the Wipe-out team to remove is asked to call the project hotline on 079726 88816 or email wipeout@dorsetworkingtogether.org