The chairman of the People's Republic of Stokes Croft, was arrested for causing criminal damage after a sign was stencilled onto a block of flats in Bristol.

The sign reads "Welcome to Stokes Croft, Cultural Quarter, Conservation Area and Outdoor Gallery."

It was stencilled onto the 5102 building, the former council offices by the St James Barton roundabout, at the weekend.

Chris Chalkley was arrested by two plain clothes police officers and was taken to Trinity Road police station where he was charged with causing damage to the building.

He is due to appear before Bristol magistrates on October 9.

The PRSC was set up three years ago and members have been encouraging the creation of artworks on neglected buildings with the aim of turning the area into a "cultural quarter".

Wooden hoardings covering the area's many derelict buildings now feature thought-provoking images.

The district has been one of the council's 33 designated conservation areas since 1980.

A council document on Stokes Croft written two years ago said: "Locally the area is known for its vitality and individuality, expressed in the emergence of high-quality street art and other public art displays within the street scene."