Police have put a £500 bounty on the heads of burglars.

And senior officers are spreading the word through Wild West-style posters being distributed to hundreds of homes in Brighton and Hove.

The reward posters, printed by The Argus, show bullet holes and a masked bandit.

Inspector Steve Curry said: "They have been deliberately designed to be amusing and eye-catching but they carry a very serious message."

Mr Curry said the idea was triggered by two teenage burglars who have raided 20 homes in east Brighton since Christmas.

Police have identified the suspects and although no charges have been laid yet, high-profile uniform patrols in the hotspot areas have stopped the mini crime wave.

Mr Curry said: "We know there are people out there who can help us bring these individuals and other burglars to justice.

"We hope the £500 reward, for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any burglar, will encourage them to come forward.

"All information will be treated in confidence."

Mr Curry said the teenage burglars and others like them made up only a small number of people.

He said: "But they cause a large amount of crime and they bring misery to ordinary, hard-working and law-abiding families.

"Many of their victims are families who can ill-afford to replace items stolen.

"My officers return to the station with heartbreaking stories.

"Childrens Christmas presents have been stolen and there is no way their families can replace them.

"Elderly people have had stolen heirlooms and prized possessions, hand-me-downs through the generations and from loved ones who have since passed on.

"The tears in the eyes of victims should be incentive enough for people to help us bring those responsible to justice and to give us a chance to repatriate stolen property with their rightful owners."

Mr Curry added: "Burglars reek havoc and raise the fear of crime and we are determined to stop them.

"We have officers, police community support officers, forensic experts and intelligence officers working very hard but we need intelligence from the community.

"We want to thank The Argus for helping us spread the word.

"We intend distributing these posters and leaflets to hundreds of homes right across Brighton and Hove to encourage the entire community to help us put a stop to this misery.

Mr Curry urged anyone with information about burglars to call Sussex Police on 0845 6070999 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.