Just days after the completion of a £1.3 million facelift, graffiti vandals have left their mark on a historic Sussex bridge.

The vandals risked their lives to daub graffiti on the Victorian steel viaduct over the River Adur at Shoreham as they climbed within feet of rails carrying 750 volts of electricity.

A spokeswoman for Network Rail said: "We are extremely disappointed vandals have painted graffiti on Shoreham Viaduct, particularly as this follows the completion of an extensive renovation scheme.

"Graffiti perpetrators not only pose an obvious anti-social nuisance but regularly endanger their own lives and those of others when they stray on to the railway line to carry out their mindless acts of vandalism."

Sergeant Jack Ioannou, of the British Transport Police, said: "We take a zero tolerance approach to criminal damage such as this, which can have a profound impact on the environment.

"We are appealing for people to come forward with details of the offenders so we can put a stop to this vandalism."

Margaret Barker, Network Rail's route crime risk manager, said: "Network Rail is committed to stamping out graffiti vandals.

"These people might think they are clever and some might even consider themselves artists.

"They are not. They are vandals and they are destroying the environment."

The Shoreham Centre, a community building in Pond Road, was also targeted by taggers on Sunday or Monday night.

Manager Kellie Davis said: "They climbed on to a flat roof and covered the whole of the west side of the building.

"We have a big party in the centre on Friday and a 40th birthday on Saturday.

"The place is going to look really awful. There is a lot of graffiti.

"One of the words looks like 'viel' and it's about six feet tall. It all looks like hieroglyphics but it must mean something to someone."

The Argus along with Adur Council and Brighton and Hove City Council is backing a campaign for the public to shop graffiti vandals.

If you see them at work in Brighton, phone 01273 274674 or in the Shoreham area, 01273 263000.

Network Rail spends more than £750,000 a year tackling graffiti in its Southern region.

The company is offering a reward of £1,000 for information leading to the prosecution of local rail vandals.

British Transport Police can be contacted on 0800 405040 and calls are free.