Fake fines are being issued to people who look like they might swear or cause trouble.

The dummy £80 fine tickets are being issued in Eastbourne to anyone who officers believe might use bad language, or be abusive or threatening in the future.

Police dreamed up the initiative in a bid to tackle potential antisocial behaviour in the town.

Since March 3 they have issued more than 1,000 of the fake fines to surprised revellers.

The majority of the tickets have been handed out on Friday and Saturday evenings to drinkers around the town centre.

The tickets state that what an individual may think is a bit of fun could offend other members of the public and may leave them liable to a fixed penalty notice that will cost them £80.

Sergeant Keith Wells, of Sussex Police, said: "These tickets are issued to advise people thinking of committing public order offences how much they will be fined if they are found to be involved in any such incidents.

"It is better to try to educate people about their behaviour and offer advice before they commit offences which will see them having to pay money out."

The 'fines' are handed out to anyone officers believe may be a troublemaker later in the evening - particularly those in large groups.

Eastbourne MP Nigel Waterson said he could not understand the policy. He said: "I think they should be handing out real fines. Like every other town we have problems of antisocial behaviour.

"I would far rather they are handing out the real thing. If they are going to the trouble of approaching people I think they should hand out a real fine.

"They are likely to have rather less effect if they are not actually going to be fined when they are given these."

Sgt Wells said the fake fines were not designed to replace fixed penalties and were not an alternative to punishment.

He said: "The aim is to get people to think early in the evening when they are just larking around and being noisy and having a laugh, but could be potential customers later on. "This is to get people to think about their activities in the later part of the evening.

"They are taken initially with aghast thinking they are going to be fined and then there's a sense of relief when they realise what's going on."

In a similar initiative, Eastbourne officers will also be dishing out dummy charge tickets to motorists advising them to tuck in their wing mirrors to make them safer from vandalism. The tickets are designed to make motorists aware of the cost of replacing wing mirrors and aerials should they be broken.