Just hours after the Salvation Army opened its new HQ in Brighton, it was tarnished by one of our city's consistent problems.

Yes, graffiti - probably one of the worst and most socially-unacceptable problems we put up with.

Someone clearly thought it would be fun, and maybe even clever, to leave his or her tag on the front of the gleaming, modern building opposite The Level and then to steal newly-planted shrubs too.

Well, few other people will be laughing, especially not the dozens of other churches, businesses and homeowners who have been repeatedly targeted by the graffiti sprayers.

What's more sickening though, is the target this time is an organisation which has been helping the poor and needy in Brighton and in Britain since Queen Victoria was on the throne.

People, in fact, with far bigger problems than the vandals whose apologists will probably say were driven to it by their circumstances.

Knowing the Sally Army, its volunteers will characteristically want to reach out to help the very people who have attacked their new headquarters and see if they can be helped in the same way as the poor and deprived.

Perhaps, however, what these vandals deserve is some other Victorian treatment.