A new double-decker worth £150,000 has been wrecked by vandals.

The vehicle had been in service only a few days.

Top-deck seats on the Y-registered vehicle were ripped up and material was used as kindling by two young offenders.

The No 5 bus was two stops away from the end of its service and was in Burwash Road, Hangleton, at 7.30pm on Tuesday when the driver spotted flames.

Firefighters tackled the blaze but the top deck was destroyed.

Only a few passengers were on board, on the lower deck, and no one was hurt.

Eye witness Ben Hall, who lives in Burwash Road, was watching EastEnders on TV when he heard the commotion.

He said: "I looked out and saw firefighters in breathing apparatus going in to the bus.

"They opened windows upstairs on the bus and thick smoke poured out."

Roger French, of the Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company, said: "It beggars belief what these people get out of such mindless vandalism.

"The bus is insured but there is an excess we have to pay and that ultimately has to be borne by our customers.

"More importantly, this could have been extremely dangerous for passengers."

Superintendent Graham Cox, head of Hove police, said he was outraged: "We will do what we can to find out who was responsible."

Police today were studying photographs of passengers, taken by a security camera as people boarded the bus.

Two youths, wearing anoraks joined the service at Norfolk Square at 7.02pm and police were trying to trace them.

One of their coats had a light-coloured logo on the front and the second carried the letter F.

Anyone with information should contact Hove CID on 0845 6070 999 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.