Two double-sided boards were put up on land between Mandeville and Stagsden, in Orton Goldhay, following calls for a place to legally display graffiti in the city.

By the weekend, someone had sawn through the supporting posts of one of the 8ft by 4ft boards.

It followed days of unrest in Orton Goldhay, with residents complaining about the location of the boards, while one neighbour called them a "waste of money".

However, officers from Peterborough City Council's city services team were due to replace the vandalised board today.

Cabinet member for environment and community safety Cllr Graham Murphy said: "This is a trial to see if something like this will work in Peterborough. The boards must be tested. If they fail, then so be it.

"But ward councillors are watching this to see how it goes. If the boards do work, they could be used elsewhere in the city.

"Prior to the weekend, the boards had only been up three or four days, which wasn't long enough to determine whether they had been a success or not."

The boards were purchased with £485 from the city council's community leadership fund.