Snipers armed with pellet guns used buses and cars for targets during a four-hour shooting spree in Brighton and Hove.

Two bus passengers were showered with glass as the upstairs window of a double-decker was blasted by the drive-by gang.

It was one of four buses and seven cars targeted between 2pm and 6pm yesterday.

A man working on scaffolding in Hove was also hit in the thigh by an airgun pellet.

Four more buses were taken out of service after having windows shattered in a string of attacks on Tuesday.

Police have launched a major operation to track down the owner of a white F-registered Ford Sierra spotted at the scene of several of the shootings.

Inspector Mark Powles said: "We can't stress how incredibly dangerous this is."

The mayhem began just before 2pm when a car window was smashed by a pellet in Rock Street, Kemp Town.

A minute later a bus window was shot out in Manor Road, Whitehawk. A car window was smashed in nearby Freshfield Road at 2.10pm.

The owners of a camper van parked in Freshfield Road told police the vehicle had also been damaged.

The scaffolder, who has not been named, was hit by an airgun pellet in Shirley Drive, Hove, at 2.55pm.

About a minute later the driver of a bus in Carlton Terrace, Portslade, reported that an upper deck window had been shattered.

A shocked woman motorist called police at 3.08pm to tell them the back window of her Ford Focus had been hit.

An hour later the rear window of a Brighton and Hove coach on hire to contractors was shattered in Kemp Town.

There were other shootings reported in Woodhouse Road, Hove, and Downland Drive, Hove, in the following two hours.

Insp Powles said: "The shock of a motorist having their window shot out while they are driving could result in a serious or fatal collision.

"There is also the danger that somebody could lose an eye if they were hit in the face."

Roger French, managing director of Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company, appealed for help to find the gunmen.

He said: "Two passengers were cut by glass after windows were shot out on our vehicles. Thankfully, their injuries were only minor.

"We had four buses attacked on Tuesday and four more yesterday and they had to be taken out of service for repairs.

"Several of our drivers saw a white Ford Sierra in the area when their vehicles were hit."