Three young vandals have been made to paint over their graffiti under the watchful eye of the law.

The trio of 14-year-olds were collared after a man caught one of them defacing a neighbour's wall near Oxshott Heath.

PC Lee Fabry said the other two were tracked down using CCTV and door knocking houses.

Between them, the three had been responsible for 28 tags in Oxshott and Cobham.

"I thought it unfair for one to take the punishment for all three," PC Fabry said.

"Once I had all my evidence together I went around to each of their houses and spoke to their parents.

"When the parents found out they were appalled by what they'd done."

PC Fabry said the three were taken to the police station, interviewed and fingerprinted before being offered the chance to make up for their crime.

"After I put my evidence to them, they admitted to what they had done," PC Fabry said.

"Their parents were supportive of police action.

"They wanted them to learn from their mistakes.

"The best course of action was a police caution.

"I want them to learn that you can't deface property.

"I asked them how would you like it if somebody came around to your house and defaced your Playstation'.

"I got together with the original victim and the parents and it was agreed to get them to repaint the fence."

The three spent almost an hour repainting the 8m of fence on Saturday.

"Then I firmly requested they apologise to the victim one at a time," PC Fabry said.

"It should stop them re-offending in the future.

"The whole aim was for them to learn right from wrong.

"I told them once it was completed I'm happy for them to have a clean slate with me."

PC Fabry said other graffiti artists could expect the same treatment.

"It was a weekend," PC Fabry said.

"They would normally by out playing. We wanted to do this in their own time."

PC Fabry said people walking past the painters had backed the police approach.

"They were surprised to see the kids doing it but they were extremely positive," he said.

"We are hoping word spreads, that youths that can't deface property and get away with it."