VANDALS daubed graffiti on property, cars and public buildings, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

The trail of purple and red paint with trademark “tags” – used by the culprits to identify themselves – spread through St Mary’s in Southampton with almost a dozen reports of damage to property.

The night-time crime spree saw at least two cars, two vans, several homes and a community building targeted.

The same tags have since been spotted in the underpass that leads to St Mary Street and one that leads from New Road to Southampton Solent University.

The main roads affected include Hartington Road and St Albans Road, home to the Black Heritage cultural centre.

The tags include the name “Juls” or “Julz” with the letters “TFI” along with a symbol.

Black Heritage chairman Beverley Dowdell was sickened by the damage.

She explained the doors on which the tag had been sprayed had only recently been replaced.

She added: “We are an organisation that is run entirely on grants and donations. Something like this really makes me angry. These people need to understand how distressing and disheartening it is to all those people who work so hard to keep this centre going.”

Now police, who say they are not treating the crimes as a racist offence, are calling on the public’s help to find those responsible.

Police community support officer James Morgan said: “There are a number of people whose properties have been affected by this vandalism, and we would urge anyone who knows anything to help find those responsible.”

Anyone with any information about the spree in the early hours of Friday October 12 should contact the Newtown Safer Neighbourhoods Team on 101.