Police are for the first time seeking curfews and banning orders for graffiti vandals who are costing Brighton and Hove £250,000 a year.

Thousands of tags and daubings are scarring the city and police and council officers have now launched a full-time crackdown to catch the culprits.

Vandals traditionally have been fined but police now intend applying to courts for antisocial behaviour orders (Asbos) to keep them indoors during night-time, prohibit them from carrying spray-paint and even to ban them from the city centre.

They will be the first Asbos of their kind in Sussex and among the first anywhere in England and Wales.

Two recently arrested suspects could be in line for the new bans.

One, arrested by PC Tim Craig while on patrol, was being questioned about 70 daubings in the London Road corridor. Spray cans and tag sketch books were found in his flat.

Last week, an off-duty paramedic made a citizen's arrest and held another graffiti suspect until police arrived.

PC Craig, now working solely on the graffiti problem, said the suspect was being quizzed about 50 daubings in Kemp Town.

PC Craig, who snaps tags with a camera, even on his days off, is working with a city council graffiti expert who examines tags in detail to connect them to offenders.

Inspector Nev Kemp said: "We are going round the city matching tags to those we think are responsible, with a view to seeking Asbos.

"Restrictions could include curfews, bans on carrying marker pens and spray cans and possibly restrictions on their movements in the city.

"This is a big problem and one affecting everyone's quality of life and the whole atmosphere of the city. It also increases people's fear of crime.

"Our inquiries show graffiti vandals are aged between 16 and 30 and many have never been in trouble before. Some are females.

"There are gangs who go on 'bombing runs', where they leave a trail of tags behind on a night's tour of the city.

"Some paint over rival gang's tags if they find them in their territory."

Mr Kemp said the problem was under-reported and he urged people to call about incidents and to dial 999 if they witnessed a vandal attack: "It will be treated as an urgent priority."

Councillor Gill Mitchell, environment committee chairwoman, said the cost of cleaning graffiti from council buildings alone was £140,000 annually. To that can be added at least another £100,000 for the damage caused to private homes and businesses.

Coun Mitchell said: "The recent arrests show the joint intelligence sharing by police and council is bringing clear results.

"I hope they will raise awareness of the severe graffiti problem in our city.

"Certain areas are constantly targeted, spoiling our most vibrant parts of the city and causing serious criminal damage to public, and sometimes historic, buildings".

Brighton's most famous landmark, the Royal Pavilion, was daubed two years ago and because stonework is more absorbent, the cleaning bill ran into thousands of pounds.

Coun Mitchell said: "Vandals may think they are having just a bit of fun but their daubings are sometimes more damaging than broken windows or fences.

"Some properties are tagged over and over again.

"There is nothing fun about graffiti. It causes serious criminal damage and untold misery for property owners."