The 'shocking' rise of vandalism in Folkestone could result in people feeling unsafe in the town, it has been claimed.

A vast amount of graffiti has been scrawled on public spaces, private property and even churches over last few weeks.

It has been noticed by Peter Philips, manager of the Folkestone Town Sprucer project and its volunteers, who work on the streets every day.

Mr Philips, 59, said: "There has been a shocking rise in graffiti vandalism or tagging of late.

"The sprucing volunteers, jobseekers and Veolia are doing their best to keep Folkestone clean and tidy, and all it takes is a handful of yobs to make our town look bad.

"Cleaning up other people's acts of vandalism cost taxpayers considerably, it can run in to hundreds of thousands of pounds a year to clean up.

"Graffiti is an environmental crime just like littering, fly-tipping and fly posting.

"It can have a very real effect on the appearance of the neighbourhood and on people's perception of how safe they feel.

"Crime such as this also has an adverse affect on regeneration as it discourages investment in certain neighbourhoods and people choosing to come and live in certain areas."

Mr Philips says he is now coming to recognise some of the 'tags' - a personal signature - around town, including the name 'masons'.

This is the same name that Barbara Plumley spotted near her home in Dudley Road in 2019 and 2018.

The pensioner said the influx of graffiti made her feel like she was living in a shanty town.

Mr Philips, a dad of four, adds: "It is the same tags I'm seeing; I think it is a handful of kids doing it all."

As well as removing graffiti, the Sprucer team - made up of volunteers and jobseekers - pick up litter, clear footpaths and are planning to instal bird boxes for their next project. It is funded by private and public donations.

Mr Philips says he thinks a community wall where people could freely graffiti could help reduce the amount seen in the town.

"It could be a place where we can engage with the children, a place where they can express themselves," he said. "We could even hold competitions - and compete against other towns, like a 'spray off'."

Cllr Jenny Hollingsbee (Con), deputy leader of Folkestone and Hythe District Council and cabinet member for communities, has called the graffiti "mindless vandalism".

She said: "Our dedicated team of area officers has removed 7,623 pieces of graffiti across the Folkestone and Hythe district in the past 15 months.

"These range from little tags on bins and road signs to larger pieces of graffiti - but regardless of their size, they are all acts of mindless vandalism.

"Graffiti has a negative impact because it contributes to a loss in pride for an area, which leads to other anti-social behaviour such as littering and dog fouling.

"Children are taught not to draw on the walls of their home, so why should it be done to other people’s property?

"If you see any incidents or are able to identify culprits, please contact us. This will allow us to take action against these individuals."

To support the Folkestone Town Sprucer project, visit here.

To report an incident of graffiti or anti-social behaviour visit here.

Read more: All the latest news from Folkestone