A WAR on graffiti has been declared - with police saying they will target vandals in a fresh intelligence-gathering campaign.

Officers from the Bolton Copshop have ordered a crackdown of the Chorley Old Road area in Halliwell, which was recently blighted by graffiti.

As part of the operation, Bolton Council staff cleaned up a wall and a lane behind Battenberg Road using specialist equipment. Now, the police warn that offenders who continue to scrawl on walls will face charges.

Officers will continue to use surveillance equipment and camera technology in the area to trap prolific offenders who are spoiling the area for residents.

And members of the public are being urged to shop vandals who they spot daubing their names around the borough.

Sgt Wayne Readfern said: "If people cause graffiti, they will be arrested and convicted for causing criminal damage."

Yobs plastered the walls behind Chorley Old Road with names and slogans which were cleaned up this week.

Police are building up a hit-list of those whose names were removed from the walls and will be visiting parents.

Anyone caught scrawling graffiti could face an Acceptable Behaviour Contract or even an Anti Social Behaviour Order.

Sgt Readfern said members of the public could help keep the area clean by giving information on the vandals to police. "We are trying our best to address the situation and particularly in Halliwell we have been in covert operations and recorded our own photos," he added.

"We recognise some of the names on the walls and are taking the step of visiting parents and talking to them about the problem. We are doing what we can to bring these people to justice but we need the public's help.

"The public are bound to know who these people are and we would urge them to get in touch with us.

"It is criminal damage and an arrestable offence."