Police are questioning a suspected catapult sniper. They swooped on a flat in Rottingdean, Brighton, and led the man away in handcuffs.

A catapult and pellets were found in the glove compartment of a car parked nearby.

Drugs, thought to be cocaine, were also seized.

Damage costing thousands of pounds was caused in a four-hour shooting spree on Wednesday.

Two bus passengers were showered in glass when an upstairs window of one double-decker was smashed by a ball-bearing.

A man working on scaffolding was hit in the thigh.

Eight buses and seven cars in total were hit this week.

Many more vehicles have been hit and shop windows smashed in the past month.

Officers from the East District Neighbourhood Policing Team raided the flat yesterday afternoon and arrested the 23-year-old.

Three vehicles in a nearby car park had damaged windows and a window in the block of flats was also cracked.

Inspector Steve Curry said last night: "We are interviewing this man in connection with a whole series of incidents including attacks on windows of shops and buildings in the High Street, Rottingdean.

"I can promise all those people who have suffered that this case will be rigorously investigated."

Police launched a major operation after the spate of bus and car attacks reached a climax on Wednesday.

Just before 2pm a car window was smashed by a pellet in Rock Street, Kemp Town. A minute later a bus window was shot out in Manor Road, Whitehawk.

A car window was smashed in nearby Freshfield Road at 2.10pm.

The owners of a camper van parked in Freshfield Road told police their vehicle had also been damaged.

The scaffolder was hit by a pellet in Shirley Drive, Hove, at 2.55pm.

About a minute later the driver of a bus in Carlton Terrace, Portslade, reported that an upper deck window had been shattered.

A woman called police at 3.08pm to tell them the back window of her Ford Focus had been hit.

An hour later, the rear window of a Brighton and Hove coach, on hire to contractors, was shattered in Kemp Town.

There were other shootings reported in Woodhouse Road, Hove, and Downland Drive, Hove, in the following two hours.

Police originally believed the damaged was being caused by an air rifle.

Insp Curry said: "I can't stress enough how dangerous catapults can be. It is fortunate no one has been injured - or worse."