Demands have been made for a “zero tolerance” approach to vandalism after a new report outlined hundreds of incidents throughout Angus.
Arbroath was particularly hard hit, with 159 reports of vandalism between April and December last year.
The Angus Community Safety Partnership report showed there had been 117 reports in Forfar and 97 in Montrose.
Brechin recorded 75 instances of vandalism, Kirriemuir 61, Carnoustie 52 and Monifieth 23.
The crime briefing shows vandalism across the county dropped by 6% compared to the same period in 2013.
Arbroath crimes are spread between days and times more than in other towns and school age children are responsible for 40% of all offences.
Female offending accounts for 20%, higher than most other areas of Angus.
Arbroath councillor David Fairweather said: “You can never condone vandalism. Why do people feel the need to destroy other people’s property or belongings including places of interest where people want to go like playparks.
“Does it make them feel happy? Because it doesn’t make a lot of other people feel happy.”
Mr Fairweather said: “Arbroath is the biggest burgh so it’s perhaps not surprising that it has the most vandalism, but we’ve got to have a zero tolerance attitude to it.
“I would hope that parents are getting this message across that vandalism in any shape or form is unacceptable.
“I am glad this is being seen as a priority by the Community Safety Partnership.”
Vandalism in the town is concentrated in the town centre, extending north to the area around Arbroath Abbey.
There is also a small pocket of incidents in the more residential area of Hayshead.
Mr Fairweather praised the efforts of the Arbroath Skatepark Committee for the steps taken to minimise vandalism at the West Links.
“I’ve got to give the Skatepark Committee every credit for making sure there is no vandalism there,” he added.
“But we got someone recently who decided to spray a message on to the tunnel of Kerr’s Miniature Railway.
“The committee then decided to go and power wash it off, which is the sort of attitude I want to see.”
Last year around 30% of vandalism related to the deliberate breaking of a window and 46% to damage to vehicles.
Only 2% of recorded crimes are incidents of graffiti.
Vandalism has been a key priority for the Angus Community Safety Partnership in a bid to reduce antisocial behaviour.
The report stated: “Vandalism in Angus is reducing. Reported incidents between April and December 2014 are 5.6% down on the same period in 2013.
“Vandalism levels in Angus peak in the spring and early summer before reducing during the autumn months, prior to rising again over the winter period. Arbroath experiences significantly higher levels of vandalism reports when compared to other Angus towns.
“Vandalism is very often committed without any planning or previous forethought.
“The spontaneous nature of the offences makes it difficult to put forward any high-risk days or key times. In addition, there are rarely witnesses to these crimes.
“Crimes therefore go undiscovered and unreported for some time after the event this is particularly true at the weekend.
“There is an indication that crimes are more likely during weekend evenings into the small hours of Saturday and Sunday.”
Analysis of the offenders involved in Forfar vandalisms would indicate more than 90% are male. Half of all offenders are of school age with all the others between the ages of 18 and 35.
In Kirriemuir, two-thirds of all crimes take place in an open space environment with less than 20% occurring in private residential properties. Damage to vehicles accounts for well over half of all offences.
Incidents in Montrose are concentrated in the town centre area with further smaller pockets of offending in areas that are more residential in nature such as Borrowfield in the north of the town.
Rossie School also generates a significant number of the 97 crimes recorded in Montrose.
In Brechin, the primary residential area of concern is towards the bottom end of Montrose Street taking in the Hillview and Drumachlie areas.
Less than 42% of Brechin incidents take place in open space with a further quarter being residential. There are significant numbers of incidents reported from commercial properties in Brechin.
Vandalism in Carnoustie is relatively rare in comparison to other towns. The hotspot area is in the town centre and around the links.
School age youths committed all but two of the detected Carnoustie crimes.
Vandalism levels in Monifieth remain very low. Damage to vehicles would appear to be less prevalent, with the majority of incidents involving smashed windows to private residences.