A Shropshire trader today vowed to put CCTV footage showing a gang of young vandals damaging a sign at his petrol station on YouTube in a bid to catch the culprits.

The youths, believed to be about 16-years-old, were caught on camera wrecking the sign at The Mount Service Station, in Shrewsbury, in the early hours of a morning last month, says Tony Barlow.

Mr Barlow, proprietor of the service station, claims the footage showed the faces of the youngsters.

He said that if they did not come forward or were caught anytime soon he would post it on the internet video-sharing website.

Mr Barlow said five boys and two girls were in the group that caused the damage, which he said had cost about £90 to repair, at about 2.30am on August 8.

He said: “They walked over the forecourt and as they walked over the security lights switched on and the CCTV took pictures of them before and after the lights switched on.

“One took a swipe at one pump and one at another. The first three went out of the picture and another camera picked up one of them doing a karate kick at a forecourt sign.

“Two jumped up and down on it and broke it causing damage and then they did it again.”

He added that the incident had been reported to police and he had no criticism of their investigation, but as the youths had not been caught, he believes posting a video on YouTube may help.

Mr Barlow said: “I shall stick it on YouTube and post a reward to try to catch them.

“I would propose to put one video up showing the damage and then another showing their faces.

“If it was posted on YouTube people who know these people would recognise them.”

He added: “Parents would recognise them, they would recognise themselves and their friends would recognise them.”

Maria Hawkaluk, a spokeswoman for West Mercia Police, confirmed the incident was reported on August 8 and appealed for any witnesses to telephone the police force on 0300 3333000.

By John Kirk