A language school has criticised Sussex Police after a foreign students' coach was wrecked by vandals.

The coach was hit two nights running but Jackie Verrall said she was let down both times she reported the attacks.

She said: "I realise police are busy but they shouldn't set up a campaign to protect foreign students if it falls flat when you need them."

Police have launched Operation Columbus to ensure foreign students have a trouble-free stay in Sussex.

The force said there was no evidence the attacks were related to foreign students but accepted its response to Mrs Verrall could have been better.

Mrs Verrall, who runs English Learning Holidays in Shoreham, said the first attack happened on Friday evening.

A French coach parked in a lay-by off Buckingham Park, Upper Shoreham Road, Shoreham, was vandalised.

Hubcaps were stolen, wing mirrors were smashed and panels were dented.

Mrs Verrall reported the attack the next morning at Shoreham police station and was greeted with: "Sorry, we're closed." The station did not open for another 20 minutes, at 10am, but an assistant eventually agreed to take details.

Mrs Verrall said the assistant could not give her a crime number because it could only be given to the registered owner, a company in France.

The following night the now-repaired coach was attacked again at the same lay-by. Graffiti was sprayed on panels, new mirrors were smashed and windscreen wipers were torn off.

Mrs Verrall telephoned police and was told someone would meet her at the scene.

She said: "I waited an hour and a half and no one showed. I even flagged down a passing police car and he promised someone would come - but still no one turned up."

Police finally made contact with Mrs Verrall at 9.30pm on Monday but by then the coach had returned to France.

She said: "Sussex Police recently did a lot of chest-beating about how committed they were to looking after foreign students. We, as a language school, spend a lot of time filling in questionnaires for the police Operation Columbus and answering questions.

"What do we get in return? It doesn't seem the police are interested."

Sergeant Ian Cooke, of Shoreham police, said a great deal of success had been achieved with police working with schools and foreign students. He said the coach attacks were acts of criminal damage on an unattended vehicle.

He did not believe they came under the umbrella of Columbus. It was not an assault or robbery on a foreign student.

But he said Mrs Verrall had deserved "better contact" from officers.

The assistant at Shoreham police station was correct. The station opened at 10am and crime numbers were only issued to registered owners of vehicles.

Mr Cooke said police did attend the coach after the second attack but missed Mrs Verrall by ten minutes.

Mr Cooke said: "Mrs Verrall was not fobbed off but I do accept she was not contacted until Monday evening. It was not good enough from our point of view."

Mrs Verrall said she was unhappy with the lack of police response and said she was worried word might get around abroad.

Foreign students were worth thousands of pounds to the local economy and such incidents could drive business away.