Vandals have wrecked more than 100 graves at a Worthing cemetery for the second time in a year.

They rampaged through Durrington Cemetery on Friday night, pushing over the headstones of people buried since around 2000.

Distraught relatives discovered the damage on Saturday and alerted Worthing Borough Council.

Worthing funeral director Peter Kennard, of Tribes, Broadwater Road, said: "It defies belief. What enjoyment do they get out of it?"

Ian Hart, another Worthing funeral director, said: "It would be unfair to animals to describe the vandals as animals. Their parents know they have done this.

"They would have come home covered in mud. Someone is shielding these people. I hope they are proud."

Ian Rudkin, the town's superintendent of cemeteries and crematoria, said: "It is sickening. You think nobody could sink any lower and then this happens. The last time they concentrated on a particular section but this time it is more sporadic. They have gone after anything and everything.

"We are still counting the number of graves and seeing if we can contact the families. It beggars belief."

Mr Rudkin said the vandals had also smashed lanterns placed by mourning families on graves and damaged an entrance gate leading from Parham Road.

Earlier this year police and the council joined forces to put up a £500 reward leading to the prosecution of the perpetrators who ruined 104 memorials in a £10,000 wrecking spree.

Police carried out a detailed forensic examination of the targeted area but nobody was caught.

Mr Kennard said his staff had been gradually putting back the toppled headstones but it was a time-consuming business.

He said: "There is a limit to what we can do. It is like painting the Forth Bridge.

"Ninety-five per cent of the people don't even think about insuring their headstones."

Mr Hart said he would try to assist any relatives who contacted him about the destruction.

A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: "This mindless vandalism has caused much concern to relatives and visitors to the individual graves."

Anyone with information is urged to contact Sussex Police on 0845 6070999, quoting crime no ww29100/05. Or you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.