Vandals smashed church windows for the second time in a month, weeks after congregation members took out a bank loan to repair them.

Members of St Mary Magdalen Church in Coldean, Brighton, broke down in tears when they realised the windows they borrowed thousands of pounds to replace had been damaged just a week after being put in place at Christmas.

The windows were repaired but yesterday more damage was discovered by members of the playgroup, based at the adjoining church hall.

A door had also been ripped off a shed used to store the children's toys, allowing rain to get in and destroy everything inside.

Churchwarden Jacqui Cook said: "The vandalism has got really bad over the past year and with all the broken windows the church was looking really uncared for, so we took out a loan in the region of £5,000 to fix and strengthen the windows.

"We thought we were going to have a nice warm church again without the wind blowing through and rattling everything inside.

"But within a week somebody had put wood through the strengthened glass, thrown paint up them, pulled leading and putty off the windows and smashed up a wooden bench dedicated to a former member of the congregation.

"Everyone was heartbroken and angry when they saw the damage and some were in tears.

"Now it has happened again and I'm dreading breaking the bad news. We'll be penalised for this now on our insurance.

"Whoever is doing this should have more respect."

Local residents suspect youngsters are responsible but say the police do not seem interested in investigating further.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "Mrs Cook has asked for us to put her in touch with the local officer so we have passed his number on."

Brenda Kerr, supervisor of the nursery group, which uses the church hall, said: "We're only a little community playgroup, a charity, and our children pay £3 each morning to come here.

"I just sat there this morning and cried. They have been back into our playground, wrenched the door off the shed and broken all the wood off the children's playhouse. They've chucked toys and books everywhere and the whole of the shed and all the toys are absolutely sodden.

"It gets to the point were you think, why have they got it in for us? It's an uphill struggle."

In a separate incident, vandals stole the doors off a minibus used to take deprived youngsters on outdoor activity trips.

Two front doors were ripped from the Variety Club vehicle used by Brighton-based Adventure Unlimited, a charity providing outdoor activities and educational events for local young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds or with disabilities.

The charity faces a £500 bill to cover its insurance costs.

The bus was parked at a garage by the Bell Tower industrial estate in Brighton when vandals struck sometime between Tuesday and yesterday morning.