Police officers are to mount late-night foot patrols on a Brighton housing estate after an outbreak of stone throwing.

Youths and children as young as eight years old have been spotted pelting cars, buses and buildings.

Police officers patrolling the Whitehawk estate in Brighton are taking to the streets on foot throughout the evenings in a bid to catch the offenders.

The problem of stone throwing was raised during the monthly crime prevention forum held at the Valley Social Centre in Whitehawk Way yesterday.

Sergeant Tony Lumb told the meeting: "We seem to be getting a lot of stone throwing around the estate with complaints of windows and bus windows being broken."

A number of residents at the meeting said they had witnessed young children throwing stones at cars and then running off.

One resident reported The Whitehawk Inn, now an educational centre, had suffered a number of broken windows in recent weeks.

Another witness said: "I saw a little boy of eight throwing stones at a car, which had a big dent in it."

Sgt Lumb said: "We have identified some individuals and there is a good chance we can stop them."

Children caught throwing stones can be made to sign a behaviour contract which, if they breach it, could lead to an antisocial behaviour order being issued.

Any breach of an ASBO can lead to a family being evicted from their home without being rehomed by the council.

Sgt Lumb said officers would go on foot patrol until midnight each evening to crack down on the problem and prevent any further anti-social behaviour.