RESIDENTS living on the Briars Estate at Four Marks have raised a petition calling upon Total Fina Elf UK Limited to clean up its act.

They are protesting against the graffiti which is plastered across the back wall of its Winchester Road garage and convenience store, directly facing Hazel Road.

The brash spray-paint slogan, they feel, is an "eyesore" which is ruining the pleasant environment of their newly built homes and should be removed.

But the multi-national petroleum company has, so far, done nothing to appease resident's concerns.

The campaign is being led by Philip Kedge who first brought the matter to the attention of the company in March.

He has written several letters, both to the manager of the Total Garage and Convenience Store in Four Marks and to the complaints department at Total Fina Elf UK Limited. He has received two phone calls, one six weeks ago promising removal of the graffiti and saying that a hedge would be planted to act as a deterrent to anyone seeking to re-spray the wall, and one from HQ, again promising action, but to no avail.

"I gave them a deadline of last Tuesday before I would raise a petition and go to the press and since then I have heard nothing," said Mr Kedge.

He has already delivered the first phase of his petition both to the local garage and to headquarters but he is disappointed at Total's attitude.

"I know they are not responsible for the graffiti itself but they have allowed what is a minor issue to develop into a major one. As a multi-national company which is able to take so much from the local community in terms of profits, I think they have a responsibility, not only to maintain their own property but to put something back into that community.

"They have not taken us seriously over the past four months and it is just not acceptable," said Mr Kedge, who believes that, for the sake of the environment, Total should have cleaned the graffiti immediately.

Fortunately the message seems to have got through. A spokesman for Total Fina Elf told the Alton Herald on Monday that the company was now looking into the matter and would be cleaning up the wall and planting a prickly hedge in front of it to prevent graffiti artists from giving a repeat performance.

"We are taking this very seriously and are doing our best to address the situation," assured the spokesperson who added: "The work is in the system to be done."