NEARLY 100 holidays have been cancelled after vandals ransacked Brighton coaches and mini-buses.

Hooligans struck at the weekend for the fourth time in a fortnight, causing thousands of pounds of damage at the town's Exhibition Lorry Park in Hollingdean Lane. Windows on coaches belonging to Pavilion Travel were smashed using safety hammers stolen from the vehicles. Fire extinguishers on the buses were set off, covering the interiors with foam. An Age Concern mini-bus belonging to Community Transport was also targeted, the tenth in two weeks. Most of the windows were smashed, putting the vehicle out of action. Pavilion Travel owner Chris Parker said: "We were due to take almost 100 holidaymakers from London on a break to Amsterdam and on a day trip to Bruges but they have had to be cancelled." The trips were organised by Newsquest London, part of the same company which owns the Argus. Compensation or alternative trips for the holidaymakers was today being looked into. An Argus trip to Bruges was almost ruined on Monday because of a similar attack on the yard. Luckily, a replacement coach was found and travellers set off from Brighton for the Continent just ten minutes late. Mr Parker said the latest attack could cost him more than £4,000 through damage and loss of earnings. He believes children were responsible and asked parents to check if children have any of the small red safety hammers stolen from the vehicles. Police appealed for anyone with information to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.