A PROLIFIC graffiti artist who sprayed his distinctive tag on up to 100 buildings and walls in Bolton is facing a spell behind bars.

Anil Kika caused damage worth £8,000 by covering walls with the word "Zone".

Kika, aged 34, of Highworth Close, Daubhill, would sneak out in the dead of the night to commit his crimes.

Yesterday he appeared at Bolton Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to 10 counts of criminal damage.

He asked for a further 25 offences to be taken into consideration, and told the court the graffiti was a way of expressing himself.

Mike Arden, prosecuting, said: "Over the last five months, a number of buildings in Bolton town centre and the outlying areas have been subject to a large-scale campaign of vandalism in the form of graffiti and the word zone'.

"The cost of clearing up the damage caused by this individual was £7,899."

The court heard that in one of the most recent cases, 10ft-high letters were sprayed on a factory wall in Highworth Close.

Kika was caught on July 18 when he was filmed by CCTV cameras as he sprayed his tag on a 20ft by 8ft wall at an industrial estate in Derby Street, Daubhill.

The cost to clean this wall alone was £500, said Mr Arden.

The footage was passed to Bolton At Home who reported it to the police. Kika was arrested on August 10 at his workplace.

During the journey to the police station, Kika said he was responsible for a lot of graffiti and said he was prepared to show police where he had struck.

"He was then taken out with the police on a voluntary tour of the town centre and surrounding areas and, during this five-and-half hour trip, he pointed out various locations, said Mr Arden.

"They involved around 100 offences of using spray paint and writing the word zone," said Mr Arden.

"He said his reasons for doing it were that it was a way to express himself. He said he was extremely sorry and that he had been into graffiti all his life. He would go out late at night and tag property in Bolton."

Magistrates, who can sentence offenders to a maximum of six months in jail, committed the case to Bolton Crown Court because they did not feel their powers of sentence were sufficient.

Kika will appear for sentence on October 11, where an application for an Anti-Social Behaviour Order will also be considered.

Graffiti artists cost council tax payers about £100,000 a year in clean-up bills in Bolton.

In June, police appealed for help in catching vandals who have daubed the names "Nero" and "Skan" across the Lower Deane and Gilnow areas of Bolton. The "Skan" signature was also found in Queen's Park.

A 14-year-old boy suspected of using the "Skan" tag has since been arrested and released on bail pending further inquiries.