A man who hoarded Nazi iconography has avoided jail despite plastering racist stickers across Hastings.

Stefan Luff was wearing a ring bearing the symbol of the Nazi paramilitary group the SS when he was arrested in September last year, after racially abusing members of the public.

After police searched his home they discovered a large amount of racist literature and Nazi iconography as well as contact information relating to extreme right wing political groups and organisations such as the National Socialist Movement and the Ku Klux Klan.

Today at Lewes Crown Court Luff was jailed for nine months suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation to his victims and £340 costs.

The 49-year-old, of Portland Terrace, Hastings, had previously denied two counts of racially aggravated behaviour and one count of publishing and distributing racial material but was convicted following a trial.

In total Sussex Police received 26 reports of racist stickers being plastered across buildings in Hastings. On average a couple of stickers a month were reported to police between February and September 2009.

The stickers appeared mostly on the Seafront around White Rock, The Old Town and the West Hill. Marks and Spencer in Queens Road was also targeted.

Luff was initially investigated after abusing two groups on one day in September 2009. He first racially abused a woman and her two young nieces as they walked down Strand Hill in Winchelsea.

He then racially abused a couple on a beach in Rye. The husband managed to photograph Luff on his mobile phone before he walked off.

Chief Inspector Mark Ling, Hastings District Commander, said: "Hastings Police will continue to work hard with our partners to prevent and reduce all types of racial crime and support those who are subjected to it.”

Detective Inspector Emma Heater said: “Luff caused a lot of distress to his victims in Rye who were visiting 1066 Country and the distribution of racist material around Hastings town centre was very upsetting for the local community.”