It might have been a better idea if someone had first checked with residents in Orton Goldhay if they would like these boards stuck up in the middle of their park.

You can't blame councillors for trying to solve the problem of graffiti – it is a blight on our city, just as it is everywhere else in the country.

But graffiti is vandalism, pure and simple. It is anti-social and criminal and it should not be encouraged in any form.

What next? Will the fire brigade create a municipal arson area – where firebugs are encouraged to set light to wheelie bins in a safe and controlled environment?

Or maybe the police will leave a few cars parked in an area at Thorpe Wood nick so the thieves can indulge their hobby of pinching sat navs without disturbing the rest of us?

There is some graffiti near where I live. It is ugly and intimidating for the people who live nearby. It has no artistic merit whatsoever. And I don't suppose for a second that the yobs responsible for it will be toddling off to Orton Goldhay once they hear about the council-provided boards.

This barmy, if well-meaning, idea fails to understand the basic motivation for the graffiti "artist''.

It's not about art. At best it's about rebellion, at worst, it's about criminality. And it's definitely about getting a buzz from doing something you're not supposed to do.

Getting a pat on the back from a local councillor is not going to get a graffiti artist's juices going. Spraying the walls, while within earshot of the wail of a police siren is.

These boards should be ripped down now and money spent on the prevention and detection of this vandalism.

And if anyone mentions "Banksy'' I shall be round your house with a spray can daubing; "You're wrong'' in 10-ft high letters on your garage door.

Beauties For Britain get my vote
After last year's local elections I suggested it wasn't healthy that Peterborough City Council was dominated by one party.

I don't like repeating myself but on this occasion I shall make an exception: "It isn't healthy that Peterborough City Council is dominated by one party.''

The fact the Tories won 80 per cent of the seats with 53 per cent of the vote serves to underline this.

In local government much of the work done, and many of the issues dealt with, are not about party politics. Or at least they shouldn't be. But to achieve what's best for all the city's residents we need a robust debate. That is most easily achieved with constructive opposition.

Alternatively, we could just say yah boo sucks to all the politicians, whatever the colour of their rosettes, and follow the lead of Miss Great Britain Gemma Garrett, who is contesting a by-election for the newly-formed Beauties For Britain party.

Perhaps for the next election we should have a new political party – Peaches For Peterborough.

I wouldn't be opposed to that.

Station really need revamp
I don't use Peterborough railway station very often. But last week Yorkshire Mother (YM) hopped on the train and paid us a visit.

When I took her to the station for her journey home, I was struck by just how much it was in need of a revamp.

The plans have been talked about for years, but precious little progress has been made.

In the meantime, the station is becoming an embarrassment to the city.
YM is in her 70s, fit and healthy, but to get to her platform she was faced with climbing up stairs crossing a bridge, then more stairs at the other end. It was a journey which, with her luggage, was a daunting prospect. Fortunately, I was on hand to cheer her on (only joking . . . I did carry her suitcase!).

I appreciate there are signs saying station staff will help, and I'm sure they do, but surely in the 21st century on a mainline station there should at least be a lift.

People of London deserve BoJo
First Ken Livingstone, now Boris Johnson . . . the people of London must have done something very wrong in a previous life.

A line call
Good luck to Neil Hair, from Fletton, who will be an assistant referee (lino to us old folks) in the Football League next season.
Neil revealed to The ET that his pre-match ritual involves eating a bag of jelly babies. Strange, I thought it was carrots that was supposed to improve your eyesight!