Shop the graffiti taggers!

A group of taggers went on a trail of destruction last weekend, spraying their signature symbols on 30 De La Warr Parade beach huts together with the school mini-bus and staff room windows at St Richard's Catholic College, garage doors and pavements.

Several of the huts were also left smashed and battered and the public footpath from Ashdown Road to Sutton Place was smothered with the multi-coloured scrawlings.

The clean-up bill could run into thousands of pounds.

Now police are appealing to the public via the Observer: "Whose tags are these? Do you know who is doing this."

It's thought the graffiti is probably the work of a group or four or five youths.

Police hope members of the public will recognise the distinctive signatures, such as Bass, Bling, Bomb, Blazin', Mafia and Fellony, and inform on the culprits. The gang appear to refer to themselves as the Bass Side Crew.

The bulk of the damage is believed to have occurred overnight on Saturday. Police began receiving the first complaints on Sunday morning..

Officers investigating on the night questioned and searched a group of 15 and 16 year-olds congregating under the railway bridge between Ashdown Road and Sutton Place but they had no paint in their possession.

Beach hut owner Wendy LeBrooy said: "They certainly haven't messed about.

"There's going to be a lot of angry beach hut owners. A lot of them have just been painted and no they're going to have to do it all over again. It's very disheartening."

Another couple, who did not want to be named, were busy repairing damage to their beloved hut on Monday. The woman said: "They've just kicked in the wood panels. It would be very costly to replace them so we just have to nail them in.

"Another hut has had its door pulled off and three or four have been kicked. We've only recently painted and that cost 80 just for the materials."

Inspector Max Mosley said: "There were a lot of different tags. This is not the work of one person. We would appeal for anyone who can identify those responsible and come forward."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Bexhill Police on 0845 60 70 999.

Under the new Anti-Social Behaviour Act it will be illegal to sell spray paint to anyone under the age of 16.