A campaign of vandalism against parking meters in Lewes shows no sign of slowing down.

Officials hoped changing the NCP traffic wardens' red uniforms, perceived by some to be "aggressive", to "friendly and approachable" blue ones would make them less hated but so far to no avail.

The latest firework attack on a parking meter took place in Southover Road on Monday. It was destroyed - and each pay and display machine costs £3,500 to replace.

Lewes District Council has now added an extra £2,000 to the £3,000 reward offered by East Sussex County Council for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the vendetta against parking meters, which has seen almost 200 attacks.

Police launched Operation Magee in a bid to track down the culprits and yesterday said they thought there could be a number of people behind the campaign.

Inspector Viv Johnson said: "I am certain the attacks are not just being committed by one person. I think we have also seen evidence of copycat attacks as well.

"While crime in every other area is down in Lewes, criminal damage cases are on the rise. Parking meters only make up three per cent of those cases but they really hit the local council financially. It is always worse during the bonfire season but this is a problem throughout the year. I would urge anyone with information to come forward and there is now a big reward on offer.

"You can even do this anonymously through Crimestoppers if you prefer, yet still be eligible for the reward without having to disclose who you are."

PC Duncan Ellison said: "Lots of people have an issue with the meters but at £3,500 each they are not cheap and the cost to the council has run into thousands of pounds.

"We have increased our patrols and drafted in extra officers and we are hopeful that the £5,000 reward being offered will help convince somebody to come forward."

PC Ellison warned that any offender could face a maximum of ten years behind bars for the attacks. The cost of the damage during the past financial year is equivalent to the council's income from business, residents' and visitors' permits.

Parking meters have been vandalised in other parts of the county but to nowhere near the same extent.

In Hastings there are two or three incidents of meters being targeted a year, costing about £1,000, and in Brighton and Hove, which has eight times as many machines as Lewes, the cost of incidents is about £20,000 per year. Only parking meters in Lewes have been damaged beyond repair.

Geraint Williams, NCP contract manager in Lewes, said: "This has been happening ever since we've been here, more than two years, and when our staff talk to people from other areas they just cannot believe the scale of the attacks.

"I think we are seeing vandalism on two levels, firstly adults with access to powerful fireworks and then copycat attacks from youths. We replace the meters on behalf of the council but it is the taxpayers who are being hit in the pocket.

"But forget about the money because if this continues somebody could get hurt. If a firework doesn't go off properly it could blind or maim a child walking past later on and that is the real concern."

Bob Tidy, East Sussex County Council's lead member for community services, said "This week's tragic incident at Ringmer reinforces how dangerous fireworks are.

The people who are damaging parking meters in this way are putting themselves and passers-by at risk of serious injury."

Liz Lee, chairwoman of Lewes Crime Reduction Partnership, said: "This irresponsible action by a few people has a big impact on our community. It ties up police resources and could result in a really nasty accident."

Lewes taxpayers have been warned the cost of replacing machines has to be recovered through higher charges for permits and pay and display parking - meaning any surplus income that would have been spent on local transport improvements will no longer be available.

Anyone with information should call Sussex Police on 0845 6070999 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.