Residents on a Brighton estate say police officers failed to respond to their emergency calls when youths were seen shooting at passers-by.

An official complaint has been made after the claims that youngsters took pot shots with an airgun but no officers turned up.

An MP has taken up the case and accused the police, who deny guns were being used, of being complacent.

One resident said: "They were firing at members of the public, animals and CCTV cameras. Two of us made 999 calls.

"They were on the veranda in some flats at about 7.45pm.

"We called the police but half an hour later the lads were seen leaving the flats without the rifle."

The calls to police were made at 7.48pm on Saturday night.

Residents say the shots were fired in Swallow Court, Swanborough Place, on the Whitehawk Estate.

The resident, who did not wish to be named for fear of reprisals, called the police's failure to respond "diabolical".

An official complaint has been lodged with Sussex Police headquarters in Lewes and Brighton MP Des Turner.

Leaders of the New Deal for Communities scheme, the Government project created to regenerate East Brighton, including Whitehawk, have also been contacted.

A Brighton police spokesman said: "We monitored the youths on CCTV and they weren't using firearms. We could see they were throwing stones.

"It's something the neighbourhood policing team will be following up this week. If there had been weapons, it would have been a different story."

When The Argus told the resident police had said the youths were throwing stones, he said: "That's a load of bunkum. They had a rifle, my wife and someone else saw them. The police haven't even been around to check if they have a gun."

Mr Turner, Labour MP for Kemp Town and chairman of Whitehawk Crime Prevention Forum, said: "I share the resident's disappointment that the police did not attend. It was an air rifle but still highly illegal.

"I think the police usually say they are too busy but sometimes I think they are complacent and it's not good enough."