The charity says graffiti causes people to feel unsafe

The North West-based charity says the cost to councils of dealing with the "epidemic" is �27m a year.

It is launching a campaign to combat the problem on Monday after criticising councils for not taking enough action against graffiti writers.

The charity also criticised art galleries, celebrities and advertisers for "celebrating" graffiti as art.

KBT claims it is backed by MPs across the country for its work to combat the problem, which includes pushing for zero-tolerance zones to be set up.

"It is impossible to turn on the TV these days without seeing an advert where graffiti is being used to make a product look "edgy"," said Joanne Whitaker, regional director of KBT.

Graffiti is a crime, it's as simple as that Joanne Whitaker, Keep Britain Tidy

"Then there are pop stars such as Christina Aguilera who fill their videos with graffiti images, to convince you they are in touch with the streets."

She said KBT's research in to the problem shows areas are "being held to ransom" by graffiti writers.

It has backed government proposals to hand out on-the-spot fines to offenders and ban the sale of spray paint to teenagers.

"All graffiti does is add to the sense of squalor and makes people feel unsafe," said Ms Whitaker.

While KBT said it could sympathise with councils trying to deal with the problem using limited budgets it criticised those who have set up legitimate graffiti walls.

"Graffiti is a crime, it's as simple as that and giving someone a wall to write on is like giving a burglar a house full of goods to practise breaking and entering," added Ms Whitaker.