The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
smashing spree
Police team investigate string of car break-ins and vandalism
VANDALS carried out a string of ‘mindless attacks’ across Bretton damaging at least eight cars but taking very little.
The thugs smashed side windows of eight vehicles in seven streets from Kirkmeadow in the north down to Drayton and Cleatham further south overnight between Tuesday and yesterday morning.
It has sparked concern among residents anxious to avoid a further spate of anti-social behaviour.
Matt Johnson had his Vauxhall car passenger window smashed in Kirkmeadow.
He said: “It’s a real pain and means I’m half a day behind with work. I’ve never really known anything like this round here. This just seems to be mindless violence. I don’t think there’s any other word for it.
“It’s not like they were just passing the car, they would have had to walk up to it.”
One woman, who did not want to be named, was shocked to discover her friend’s car had been broken into in Cleatham but only an empty bottle of aftershave was taken.
She said: “It’s been nice and quiet for at least two years. I just hope this isn’t the start of something new. It does tend to happen when the weather gets a bit nicer.
“I’ve seen a few more policemen out and about since, which is good. I just hope they catch them. It’s a huge inconvenience for everyone.”
Dave Reed, who owns a house in Benland, was not a victim but said vandals had targeted houses along a similar route six months ago, daubing graffiti tags on doors but only on one side of the path.
He said: “There’s not usually much damage around here, it’s normally quiet round here.
“But this is the main path between north and south Bretton and there are a lot of places to disappear.”
Detectives have now launched an investigation and have been carrying out door-to-door inquiries.
Two break-ins were reported in Cleatham. The first saw the front passenger window of a Renault Scenic smashed between 10.30pm and 6.30am but nothing taken while the second saw an empty bottle of aftershave stolen from a Skoda at about 8.30am yesterday.
Cars were also targeted in Eyrescroft, Benland, Risby, Middleton, Drayton and Kirkmeadow.
A sat-nav was stolen from a Ford Fiesta in Middleton and CDS were taken from a blue Rover in Drayton but nothing else has been stolen.
Police are appealing for anyone with information to call 101.