TODAY we report on how young vandals were caught in the act of “tagging”.

The two young women were certainly not the usual suspects that readers may have in mind for those who daub walls with graffiti.

They were recorded on video happily spraying the wall on a Grade II listed property in Brighton.

It is sadly one of countless examples of the “tagging” we see in the city.

Some argue that it can be seen as urban art.

But this could not be further from the truth. This tagging is ugly, pure and simple.

Many residents and organisations work very hard to make the city an attractive and welcoming place to live in, work in and to visit.

But it is right to say that graffiti tagging is a slap in the face of their efforts.

It is also disrespectful to the city’s history and sense of civic pride.

When it becomes so obvious, it encourages others to show no respect either, with people dropping litter, for example.

This is not the image of the city we want to encourage.

That is not to say there cannot be examples of urban art. Murals in dull backstreets and on tired concrete buildings can add colour in unexpected places.

But this does not apply to tagging.

So when we saw the footage of the two young women so nonchalantly damaging a piece of our city’s heritage, it was in the public interest to expose their wrongdoing. We can only hope they will stop trashing our city and learn some respect.