A NORTH-EAST organic graffiti cleaner is proving so popular with local authorities in the UK that its fame has spread across the North Sea.

Interest in the environmentally-friendly cleaner, whose main ingredients are milk and oranges, has resulted in a visit to its manufacturing site, Nordic UK of Newton Aycliffe, by a Scandinavian firm.

Council environmental officers from across the UK believe the unusual concoction, which forms the vital ingredient of a new gel, offers a safer and more eco-friendly way of dealing with the problem than traditional detergents.

And the graffiti situationin Scandinavia is growing to such an extent that firms are looking into the best ways of attempting to prevent the problem.

Nordic general manager, Kevin Seed, said: "We had a visit from a firm in Stockholm, Sweden, and we're expecting a Norwegian company over in the next few weeks.

"It seems the problem is growing in Scandinavia and what they're bothered about is that its doesn't get any worse."

The solution of orange peel extract and milk acids is a biodegradable solution that can clear graffiti in seconds. Ironically the non-toxic solution was developed in Denmark and Nordic's founder and MD Peter Robinson came across it while travelling there.

It has already created national interest with the firm at the forefront of the clean-up operations in London following the May Day anti-capitalist protests last year.

The Newton Aycliffe business, which employs 12, is the only firm in the country which produces and sells the solution, and interest from London councils has been strong.

Mr Seed added: "It seems that apart from Newcastle the interest at a local level is still waiting to take off.

"But the council's in London have been very interested especially with the fact that it is environmentally-friendly."

Only six years old, the firm achieved wide recognition when it won a Tees Valley business club award for excellence and recognition from other national organisations, including The Environment Agency.

A recently launched website, www.nordic-anti-graffiti.co.uk, promotes the firm to local authorities, cleaning companies and probation services. It also allows customers to submit orders.