That’s the message from the council’s Anti-Social Behaviour team, echoed by the Grounds and Maintenance team who are responsible for its removal.

Chair of the council’s Housing and Technical Resources Committee, Councillor Davie McLachlan, said: “Graffiti is unsightly and detracts from the overall appearance of an area and presents the perception of a neglected neighbourhood, causing upset and offence to most people, but it can also lead to further acts of vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

“It can spoil our enjoyment of the areas we live in so it is important that anyone spotting it should report it to the council as soon as possible.

“The removal of graffiti can be extremely time-consuming and costly for the council, with thousands of pounds each year being spent on its removal, but it is important to remove it as soon as possible because the longer any graffiti remains in place, the more likely it is to encourage more graffiti.”

Chair of the council’s Community and Enterprise Resources Committee, Councillor Robert Brown, said: “We will remove graffiti from all council-owned property, including buildings, street furniture and play equipment, for example, and can also remove it from private property for a fee although, in that case, a disclaimer does need to be signed prior to any work taking place.

“It is also worth bearing in mind that it is illegal – graffiti is an act of vandalism and, as such, offenders can be charged with a criminal offence under section 52, Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995.”

The council aims to remove offensive graffiti, including any that is racist, sectarian or obscene in nature within 24 hours of being notified of it, and anyone wishing to report offensive graffiti can do so by calling the hotline on 0303 123 1020.

All other non-offensive graffiti on council-owned property is aimed to be removed within five working days and it can be reported online through the council website.

Front line council employees working in our communities, including community wardens, housing officers and grounds staff, act as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the council and will identify and report any graffiti they see while carrying out their duties. Action will then be taken to remove the graffiti as appropriate.