A graffiti wall featuring King Charles and a host of other artworks has won praise and demonstrated how public art can have a positive effect on communities.

Local artist Stocke has coordinated the creation of the work on hoardings around a construction site for new apartments and community centre on Powder Mill Lane, Whitton.

He recruited graffiti artist legend Paul 'Don' Smith, who created the spectacular mural of King Charles, together with a number of other local artists.

The image of the new monarch was deemed particularly appropriate as earlier this year the King visited the neighbouring Turkish Community Centre, which was at the centre of fundraising efforts for victims of the devastating earthquake in Turkey.

Paul 'Don' Smith was one of the first people to take graffiti into the mainstream – even preceding Banksy – with his unique mix of stencil and freestyle work.

Last year he produced a mural of the Queen as a young woman for Richmond Windows to mark the Platinum Jubilee.

Hoardings covered in brightly coloured murals (Credit Amar Pattni)

And he has also created a spectacular mural of King Charles, which sits alongside other famous names, including David Attenborough, on the outside wall of Richmond Barbers, close to the town centre bus station..

Stocke said the murals provide an alternative way for people who are serious about public art to express themselves with works that are a long way from the ugly tags that deface many walls.

Family pet remembered in mural (Credit Amar Pattni)

He approached Linden Hill Homes, who are the developers involved in the building project on the site of the former Duke of York pub, to ask if they would allow their hoardings to provide a canvas for the murals.

Group Technical Director at the company, Amar Pattni, told Nub News: "There are about 40m metres of murals and the work has taken around one month to complete.

"We understand that there are not always spaces for these guys to constructively show what they do.

"These sites and hoardings can become targets for graffiti. We take the view there is a big distinction between the murals created here and the normal squiggles seen on the side of a building.

"I would say that this work is absolutely phenomenal. This is a positive talking point – a real piece of artwork - rather than having a mundane hoarding."

Stocke said that a community of respected graffiti artists operate a system where they scour their local areas to find suitable locations where they can create their works based on the permission of the owner.

Graffiti wins positive feedback from residents (Credit Amar Pattni)

Stocke, who has an example of his own work on the Whitton hoardings, works with people and groups such as the Hounslow Mural Project and Skyhigh to promote public graffiti art across south west London.

He said: "We have got about 10 artists on the Powder Mill Lane site and I am hoping to bring some more artists on board. Each one brings their own flavour and style. It is great that I am now painting alongside 'Don'. It's a dream for me.

"The reaction from local residents has been brilliant, the feedback has been 99% positive."

All of the artists involved have won paid commissions to do work for clients on the basis of showcasing their work.

"I'm very happy that it has worked out so well," he said.