POLICE are hunting thieves who damaged beach huts in Alum Chine and swigged from a bottle of wine.

On the night of January 10, 19 beach huts were vandalised, with eight broken into.

Officers investigating say "minor damage" was caused to the council-owned huts.

A spokesperson from the Westbourne and West Cliff Neighbourhood Policing Team said: "A bottle of wine was open and used in one of the huts.

"This is being forensically tested in the hope of identifying an offender."

In the early hours of January 12, a would-be thief attempted to break into seafront restaurant Vesuvio.

He was captured on CCTV as he attempted to force open the doors of the building.

However, his facial features aren't clear in the footage, and police are calling for anyone with information to come forward via dorset.police.uk or by calling 101.