A vicar has condemned parents who want to protect their children from paedophiles but still let them roam the streets and commit crime.

The Rev Terry Stratford, whose church borders the parish where eight-year-old Sarah Payne was abducted, spoke out after repeated vandal attacks on St Andrew's Church, Grange Park, Ferring.

He said: "We are told parents are very concerned about the danger posed by paedophiles but, at the same time, there are too many who seemingly are just not bothered about where their children are, who they are with or what they may be up to.

"Sadly, at St Andrew's in the last few weeks we have experienced two instances of vandalism and one of theft committed by juveniles.

"If children and young people know that the way in which they behave is taken very seriously by their parents then they might think twice about getting up to mischief."

Mr Stratford made his comments in the parish magazine after discovering youngsters had smashed windows and let off fire extinguishers in the church.

Damage to the diamond-shaped leaded-light windows cost £120 to repair and £90 may have to be spent to replace a stolen wheelie bin.

Last year, thieves stole a wheelchair from the church and smeared a noxious substance on the organ pedals.

Churchwarden Peter Wood said he had also found evidence of people camping in the porch of St Andrew's, leaving cigarette butts and empty beer cans.

The culprits are believed to come from Ferring, although there has been evidence in the past of youths from West Durrington causing problems.

Sarah Payne, whose parents Michael and Sara announced their separation over the weekend, was snatched by convicted paedophile Roy Whiting as she played in fields with her siblings close to her grandparents' house in Kingston Gorse, near Ferring, three years ago.

Her body was discovered 16 days later near Pulborough.

The Children's Society has expressed concern children were not going out to play in parks and recreation grounds as much as they should.

A report by the charity blamed parents' increasing safety fears following Sarah's murder, as well as the killings of friends Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, Cambridgeshire, Despite raising fears that children were being left to roam unsupervised and get into trouble, Mr Stratford said a degree of independence was important for their development.

He said: "All children need to socialise without too much adult supervision because, in doing so, they learn a communal code of conduct.

"Playing together is an essential part of growing up. All young people need to experience belonging and the security that comes with it.

"Adolescence is marked, above all, by the question 'Who am I?'.

"While the process of self-discovery can be exceedingly traumatic it can be made easier by associating with young people of the same age.

"To see that community life is dependent upon the contribution of each individual is very important."