The young yobs are targeting shops and railway stations, terrorising staff and the public.

The Argus can reveal the problem has become so bad, a wanted-style poster has been issued showing the faces of 30 children to watch out for, dubbed the West Coast Nominals.

Two of them are brothers Archie and George Tilley, now aged 16 and 15. Their faces have a cross over them as they have already been jailed for the horrific attack on Worthing dad Alan Willson, who was beaten almost to death in the town's Longcroft Park last year.

Today The Argus launches a series of features revealing some of the criminal behaviour causing misery from Goring to Hove. 

Victims claim the youngsters are going unpunished - either because they are not caught or, when they are, they are let off by the courts.

A poster created by a British Transport Police officer for Southern Rail staff. Pictured are 30 children known by authorities - dubbed the 'West Coast Nominals'. George Tilley, left, 15, and Archie Tilley, right, 16, are crossed out with their sentences of 12 years written underneath (Image: Argus)

The poster was made following months of criminal behaviour from children, including repeated thefts in shops and, more recently, physical assaults. Residents said youngsters jumped on and off trains along the West Coast line, committing crimes as they went.

A British Transport Police (BTP) officer created the poster and gave it to Southern Rail to "aid safeguarding and crime prevention efforts" following continued harrassment.

The identities of the Tilley brothers can be published after Judge Christine Henson QC lifted reporting restrictions in July, meaning their identities could be revealed to the public.

Section 49 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 places an automatic restriction on reporting information that identifies or is likely to identify any person under the age of 18 who is concerned in youth court proceedings as a victim, witness or defendant.

This means we cannot reveal the identities of the other 28 children on the poster and have blacked out their faces. Fourteen of them are girls.

Our investigation

The Argus was initially made aware of businesses near Durrington railway station in Goring being continually ransacked.

Our month-long investigation has uncovered incidents of shoplifting including alcohol, vapes, a plasterboard saw and spray paint from several shops in the area.

It emerged that this behaviour, along with more serious crimes including possessing a knife, is happening across West Sussex from Goring to Hove.

Community terrorised

A man, who lives in the Worthing area but wanted to stay anonymous, told The Argus: “The staff at these shops are resigned to the behaviour, some people have quit their jobs.

“It’s the way the children move from one store to another with such military precision. They ride these trains willy nilly.

“The bottom line is these people are being failed in this community. We have the Alan Willson incident, that's not such ancient history.

“I know people who say they don’t go out any more to walk their dogs. They say their daughter does it now at 8am when the children are not out.

Alan Willson after his attack. He suffered life-changing injuries including spinal fractures, lung trauma and broken bones

“Imagine planning your day around whether you might or might not meet these children.

“There has been no police presence. I remember when we had a great PCSO around here, he was great and would speak with everyone.

“There is something very special in a small community about having a police officer you know and identify with.”

It is unclear if the children in the poster are involved with the spate of youth crime and violence in the Worthing area.

BTP has deemed its West Coast Nominals poster as "inappropriate" and referred itself to the Information Commissioner's Office,  the independent authority set up to "uphold information rights in the public interest".

Speaking of youth disorder in the area, Sussex Police Chief Inspector Sarah Leadbeatter, district commander for Adur and Worthing, said: “We continue to respond to concerns regarding antisocial behaviour from a small group of young people in and around the Worthing locality.

“We are working closely with our partners including British Transport Police, youth justice teams and with the local district and borough councils to help tackle these issues which cannot be solved by police alone, but instead require a continued partnership response.

“I would encourage anyone with concerns over antisocial behaviour to contact us and report it to us online or via 101. We are also keen to speak to anyone with relevant CCTV or who may have witnessed the behaviour to come forward and help assist us with our investigations.”

A Southern Rail spokeswoman said: “We are working with the British Transport Police to support the enquiries into this matter.”

Tomorrow: Read the story of the hero shopworker confronted by a knife-wielding child