Residents are demanding action from police after yobs scaled a 52ft clock tower to vandalise a historic timepiece.

The attack follows a spate of other anti-social behaviour at Blakers Park, near Preston Drove, Brighton.

Friends of Blakers Park chairman Pauline Allen said: "It's been a horrible year. The city council and police, for whatever reason, can't or won't help us. We haven't received any back up from either of them."

The Friends of Blakers Park was formed in 1894, the year the park was gifted to the people of Brighton. The clock tower was built in 1896.

But in the last year it has been the target of vandals who have damaged other parts of the park.

In July children got into the clock tower and were turning the hands. The police were called but, according to a Friends' newsletter circulated to 2,000 homes in the area, "the police would not come as this was deemed a low priority situation".

Residents also appealed to Brighton and Hove City Council's environmental services department for help and a workman secured the tower door with nails.

The organisation had repairs carried out on the clock, followed by a £9,000 scheduled overhaul.

That took two months, but within days of completion youths used scaffolding to climb the clock tower and bent the hands, stopping the mechanism.

Police arrived and caught some of the vandals but let them go without charge.

One idea being considered at the Friends' annual meeting last night was wardens to protect the city's open spaces.

Mrs Allen told The Argus: "This whole episode has left us feeling very angry and very helpless. It seems that there is no-one in authority who will take a stand against this destruction."

There was more trouble when residents who remonstrated with a gang of youths hanging about in the park had their homes pelted with eggs.

Mrs Allen pledged residents would hammer away at the issue until police or the city council took responsibility for protecting the park.

She asked: "What's the point of having laws if you do not enforce them?"

Superintendent Graham Cox, of Brighton Police, said: "I'm concerned that people do not feel safe in public spaces in Brighton. The police and the council need to work with communities to make public areas safer and feel safer for residents.

"I will be interested to hear about the concerns of the Blakers Park residents."

Another spokesman for the force said if police had gone to the scene of a crime reported in Blakers Park and had firm evidence of who was responsible for a crime, they would be arrested.

A city council spokesman said the authority always responded to residents' queries about the park. Staff were responsible for parks, but had other duties.

"As for wardens, the fact is at the moment there's no money for them."