A father has accused the police of being heavy-handed after his 14-year-old son was handcuffed and locked in a police van for marking a lamp post with a felt tip pen.

Michael Bridle was with a friend near his home in Hangleton Valley Drive, Hove, when he took the pen out and wrote his name on the lamp post.

He says a policeman got out of an unmarked car, told him "You're nicked", slapped handcuffs on him and searched him.

The handcuffs were removed but he was locked inside a police van and driven to Hove police station, where he was given an official reprimand.

A police cameraman was called to video the graffiti.

His father admits his son's actions were stupid but says they did not justify the ordeal he was put through on Tuesday evening.

Andy Bridle said his son Michael should have been told off at the scene and made to clean the lamp post.

But Sussex Police were sticking to their guns and said the boy should not have been committing criminal damage.

Michael, who goes to Hove Park Lower School, admitted he did wrong but was shocked by the way he was treated.

He said he was compliant and was not rude or violent and added: "This has made me lose some of the respect I had for police."

Michael, who plans to go to college and train as a plumber, said he had never been in trouble before and could not understand why he was handcuffed.

He told The Argus: "Maybe they thought I would run away but I would never have done that.

"I wasn't rude or anything - I thought they would just make me clean the lamp post."

Michael's businessman father, 50, said police were right to tell off his son but wrong to handcuff him and put him in a police van.

He said: "I couldn't believe it. I'm fully behind the police and what they do but this was excessive and frightening for the lad.

"Michael put a brave face on it but he was pretty shaken.

"What concerns me most is what message this sends out. It doesn't do kids' respect for police much good."

A force spokeswoman said: "We can confirm a youth was arrested and handcuffed while he was searched. The handcuffs were removed when he was placed in the police van.

"The youth was arrested for criminal damage. The lamp post was not his to deface and he was reprimanded for it.

"Should his family feel the need to complain to Sussex Police, then the matter will be fully investigated."

The spokeswoman explained that police have powers to handcuff anyone over the age of criminality, ten.

She said it was a discretionary power and arresting officers had to justify using cuffs.