VETERANS have called for criminal action against revellers accused of urinating and being sick on a war memorial.

Eye-witnesses have complained of partygoers at last weekends Brighton Pride urinating, vomiting and littering at the Brighton War Memorial.

Councillors labelled the actions a disgrace while Pride bosses have also said they are appalled at the reports and promised to take action for next year’s event.

Reports of inappropriate behaviour were made to Pride security staff on Saturday night while eye-witnesses said they had also reported incidents to the police.

Crowds gathered in the Old Steine over the weekend as 300,000 revellers sampled the city’s unique Pride atmosphere.

Organisers had created a new Pride Pleasure Garden in Victoria Gardens in a bid to restrict numbers congregating in the city centre but partygoers still gathered outside official Pride areas including around the war memorial.

Cityclean staff, who cleaned up a record 187 tonnes of rubbish over the weekend, noticed the poor state of the war memorial and cleaned it up on Saturday night and Sunday.

Labour councillor Michael Inkpin-Leissner, the council’s armed forces champion, said he had already begun looking at ways to better protect the city’s war memorial before the weekend’s incident - potentially in conjunction with the War Memorials Trust.

Cllr Inkpin-Leissner said: “It is a disgrace.

“I think it’s more about being drunk, I think they probably didn’t realise what they were doing which of course doesn’t make it any better.

“For next year I would call on Pride organisers to better protect the war memorial, to have higher fences which would be difficult to climb over.”

Dudley Button, president of the Brighton branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “I am very disappointed to hear that, it makes me very sad to hear this.

“Everybody wants to enjoy themselves but people should respect those who gave their lives to preserve their freedom to go out and get drunk.

“If they have committed an offence and it could be proved, obviously it should be reported and considered by the CPS.

“I wouldn’t really want to see the memorial to be fenced off next year, it is a place that should be respected, but I think Pride should provide stewards around it.”

Brighton Pride CIC director Paul Kemp: “We totally agree with residents, we are appalled at any mistreatment of the War Memorial.

“We have nothing but respect for all members of the Armed Forces who have fought for our country and the freedoms we have today.

"To hear about this behaviour has really upset the entire Pride team.

"People who are in the city for Pride or any other reason are not welcome if they behave without respect.”