Cars under fire
GUN-TOTING hooligans have been blamed for a spate of incidents in which car windows and shop windows have been fired at and smashed.
Residents in villages across Huddersfield’s HD8 postcode area have reported damage to their vehicles by attackers using some kind of air rifle or pellet gun.
In one case, a woman witnessed an attack in broad daylight when a car pulled up outside her home and an occupant fired four shots into the back window of another vehicle parked nearby.
Another woman and victim Katie Naden, 36, of Denby Dale, took to Facebook at the weekend to post a picture of damage caused to her blue Jaguar X Type.
Katie, who works as a learning mentor and behavioural specialist at Reinwood Junior School, had parked her car outside The Coffee Loft cafe in Wakefield Road, Scissett, on Sunday morning while she went to a nearby gym.
She wrote: “My car was parked by The (Coffee) Loft in Scissett from 09.40-10.50am this morning. When I got back the passenger window was smashed and absolutely no evidence of how. It now appears that other cars have also had theirs done and most definitely the cars are being shot at.”
Katie, who also discovered damage to paintwork by the window apparently caused by a pellet, added: “Fuming doesn’t even cut it. For someone’s mindless, sick fun it’s just cost me £75. I know what I’d like to smash right now.”
Her post prompted other people to comment on similar incidents over the weekend in Denby Dale, Scissett, Skelmanthorpe Clayton West.
Katie shared a private message on her Facebook page about a car being fired at Dearneside Road in Denby Dale in which a group of friends chatting in the street were “flabbergasted” to see a car pull up and fire four shots into the back window of another vehicle parked nearby causing hundreds of pounds of damage.
The poster wrote: “I feel silly that neither I nor my two friends got the number plate, but we were just flabbergasted. The guy had the audacity to stop right next to us and fire four shots at the car parked next to mine, then drove off while we stood there gawping. I mean, you don’t exactly expect to hear shots next to your home! Actually shook me a bit, just glad kids weren’t with me.”
The driver was described as in his late 20s or early 30s with light brown short hair. He was said to be driving a royal blue sedan, possibly a Subaru.
Among other incidents, cars parked outside Skelmanthorpe fire station and near the Kirklees Light Railway at Clayton West had windows smashed while two vans parked outside Scissett Working Men’s Club were also targeted. A window at a bathroom showroom in Skelmanthorpe was also hit.
Katie said: “I have been getting Facebook messages from people saying that this has been going on since November or December. There were at least six or seven incidents on Sunday. Someone has been driving up and firing and driving away again, and it’s happening in broad daylight.”
Police are investigating incidents.