It is probably impossible to entirely eliminate the problem, but Cardiff businessman Robert Denton is almost certainly correct in his assertion that the vast majority of the vandalism is the work of a handful of people.

Mr Denton's study of the bland scribbles known as "tags" sprayed in parts of Lake Macquarie suggests the culprits should be readily identifiable. He believes that if enough effort is applied to neutralising those vandals, the graffiti problem should shrink to a more manageable and less offensive scale.

Part of the problem of graffiti control is that the publicity needed to boost awareness can also encourage more copycats to seek gratification and notoriety among their peers by aping the original vandals. That's why rapid and thorough removal of tags is one of the most important parts of any control campaign.

Other measures are important too. The State Government is considering a ban on aerosol paint, for example, and has set up an anti-graffiti team to help target hot-spots and catch the vandals.

It isn't clear if an aerosol ban will work, but restrictions on the supply of those paints specially designed for graffiti must be worth considering. A recent quick survey of discarded paint cans at South Newcastle Beach, where graffiti has been permitted, found most appeared to be purpose-designed for the job.

Sadly, even at the legal graffiti area, the would-be "muralists" have been unable to contain their efforts to the legal areas or follow the rules established as conditions of the experiment.