A CAMPAIGN which promotes graffiti has been condemned by Scotland's two largest local authorities.
Glasgow and Edinburgh city councils say the project's website is contributing to the cost of vandalism, with thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money spent each year on cleaning up the graffiti.
However, Duncan Cumming, a Glasgow-based photographer who operates the site, has said "tolerance zones" should be created in Scotland for graffiti artists. He claimed that graffiti can "brighten up the urban environment" and suggested both cities should set aside spaces where graffiti artists can display their work.
Mr Cumming said that his interest in graffiti was from an "aesthetic perspective".
He said: "I think there is a tendency to link graffiti art with vandalism in general. Graffiti isn't illegal per se and artists shouldn't be treated as criminals.
"They're going to do it anyway. Why not make it easy for them to do so legally, rather than criminalising their artistic endeavours?"
In the three years since the site www.duncancumming.-co.uk was set up, it has attracted a cult online following.
Jim Coleman, deputy leader of Glasgow City Council, criticised "the school of thought that sees graffiti as art".
"The council's view is that graffiti is a form of vandalism. It's really a blight on property," he added.
In Glasgow, there is one area on the south side of the city where graffiti has traditionally been left unless it is of an offensive nature, although the council asked for its location not to be revealed as it is not a designated tolerance zone.
In Edinburgh, Mike Drewry, director of environmental and consumer services, said the council still took a tough stance on graffiti as vandalism, which he said was "offensive and detrimental to the appearance of the city."