A REVOLUTIONARY service has been launched to tackle graffiti in a Teesside town.

Hartlepool Active Response Team (Hart) is a dedicated cleaning team which will seek out and tackle graffiti across the town and provide a rapid response to emergency graffiti removal requests.

It has been set up by Hartlepool Borough Council's Workroute employment initiative.

Hart uses environmentally-friendly chemical orange oils to get rid of the eyesores.

The team can coat surfaces to give them protection, not only from graffiti but also from traffic pollution, scuffing, grime and stains.

It can also provide a general cleaning service to smarten and revive block paving, walls, monuments, patios, decking and even caravans, and can clear drains and remove chewing gum.

Hart manager Terry Robinson, said: "The old technique involved high pressure jetting using a salt-based mixture, which invariably left some damage.

"This new system is much gentler, so we can tackle virtually all types of surfaces.

“It uses chemicals from orange oils which can be brushed on and which effectively wrap themselves around the paint molecules, making the paint or marker pen ink a lot easier to rinse off.”