THEY spend a lot of time trying to catch graffiti artists and stopping them daubing their "art" across public buildings.

But one Devon police force has invited one artist to help decorate their new station.

Officers in Tiverton have allowed local graffiti artist Stuart Berrie to decorate the outside of their new station to show new ways of working with the community.

The graffiti portraits of officers and prominent members of the community is part of a forward thinking scheme to make people reconsider prejudices towards both graffiti and the police.

Sergeant Rob Curtis, neighbourhood team leader for Tiverton, said: "I believe this will be the first police station in the UK to be intentionally 'graffitied'."

The police are currently trying to get permission to have more of their station painted by graffiti artists.

The mural shows PCSO Dion Howells, Sgt Curtis and PC Hannah Lampart, the youth development officer, alongside other members of the community who work with young people.

Sgt Curtis added: "We support and interact with local young people, and by allowing this excellent work of art to be displayed on our police station we have shown our further commitment to this."