A boy of ten has been arrested in a crackdown on young thugs who cause trouble in a town's square.

He was part of a group stopped and searched by police after a couple were threatened in Southwick Square, Southwick.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested after a chisel and bradawl were found on him.

Sergeant Ian Cooke, of Shoreham police, said: "We were called to a disturbance in the square.

"The caller said he and his wife had been threatened by a group of youths who had been making a nuisance of themselves.

"After questioning the youths, a ten-year-old boy was searched and found to be in possession of a chisel and a bradawl. As a result he was arrested."

The arrest followed a series of incidents involving children aged between nine and 15 the square.

A few days earlier, police were called on to deal with a group of youths who were throwing waterbombs at people in the square.

Residents and shopkeepers say they face constant harassment and abuse if they try to deal with the situation.

Many elderly people living near the square say they are afraid to go there in the evening.

Police and Adur Council officials launched a crackdown on the troublemakers by stepping up patrols and using CCTV cameras to monitor the square.

They promised to use CCTV footage to show parents what their children were getting up to.

One horrified father vowed his son would not be allowed to go into the square unsupervised again after he was shown a video.

Sgt Cooke said: "We currently have three more videos which we are studying and we expect to interview more parents with their children."