You've been framed - 'drug' kids' web shame

As well as appearing to show individuals snorting lines of white powder and taking pills, "Littlehampton, a Tribute" is almost 10 minutes long and also contains clips of fighting and nudity.

Whatever the motive for adding the video to a global website, it seems to have backfired, as names are mentioned on the film and police recognise some of the youths suspected of the criminal acts.

Shot in colour and black-and-white, and with a soundtrack of dance and metal music, the slickly-produced footage also shows a teenage boy jumping into and breaking a large fence and someone defecating in a building which the police said was believed to be Littlehampton library. However, library staff said they were unaware of any such incident.

There are other, much lewder acts on the film '“ on the video-sharing website, YouTube '“ and due to the content viewers must confirm that they are over-18 before watching it.

Although the video was posted on the website three months ago, it has only now come to the police's attention.

PC Matthew Phelps, of Littlehampton police, told the Gazette: "A colleague of mine had been looking at the website and had typed Littlehampton into the search bar and said that several videos came up which he then watched.

"He contacted me and said he was shocked at what he had seen. The video appears to show drug-taking, criminal damage and other not very nice stuff.

"I have seen it, and recognise several of the individuals and locations where it is shot and we are investigating."

Launched in February, 2005, by two American friends, YouTube is one of the most popular websites on the internet, with more than 100million viewings of videos on it each day.

Earlier this month, internet giant Google launched a bid to buy the website for more than 800million and the deal is expected to be finalised soon.

As well as being used by millions of people to present their daily lives, special events and home-movies, the website has also been used by criminals to showcase their law-breaking.

In America, there have been numerous arrests after criminals added videos of their crimes to the site, giving police valuable information which has led to a number of prosecutions.

On Friday, a man in Wales was cautioned for theft after posting footage of himself stealing a charity worker's glasses in the street on the website.

The Gazette did approach YouTube for a comment but had not been contacted at the time of going to print.

On its website, YouTube's terms of use state that the submitter of a video is "solely responsible" for it and any consequences that may arise from its posting".