Fake shops to revive high street

"Fake businesses are to be used to lessen the impact of the recession on high streets in North Tyneside.

With 140 empty shops in the borough, council bosses think they have come up with a unique way of ensuring shopping areas remain as vibrant as possible."The solution is large-scale graphics which give the illusion that the storefronts are occupied.

Council bosses clearly think that keeping up appearances is important for attracting new business, and it does suggest what is possible. But I wonder how tempting these store fronts will be to local taggers, and whether they will be just as convincing when covered in graffiti?

From the BBC