Outrage at car vandals

By JAMES FRASER james.fraser@eveningstar.co.uk

ANOTHER week, another sickening dose of vandalism.

Residents in Bramford Lane were today seething at the latest spate of damage to vehicles in their busy street – that has been plagued with attacks that have sent costs spiralling into thousands of pounds.

A gang of thugs were seen going on the rampage in the early hours of yesterday morning, smashing off car wing mirrors, leaving up to 20 vehicles damaged.

Police received three official complaints. A police spokeswoman said that it was believed more cars were damaged in a similar way on the same street.

She added that five white males were seen at around the same time – about 1.15am.

A VW Polo, a Ford Orion and a Vauxhall Astra had their wing mirrors broken off by vandals, it was suspected.

Residents, however, are resigned to waking up to see their cars damaged day after day.

Judith Backhouse said it was more cost effective to park her car in a garage after vandals took their toll on her own vehicle.

"For a whole year they did so much damage," she said. "They damaged the locks, they broke off the car aerial and now I keep my car in a garage.

"With what I paid out in repairs, it worked out that you save with a garage."

Cleaner Alan Smith, who also lives in Bramford Lane, was the victim of another mindless attack last week.

"It's part and parcel of living here now," he said. "They did £200 worth of damage to the car, it's just malicious damage," he said, detailing how they sprayed paint all over his car, which he later had to clean off at cost to himself.

Another resident, who declined to be named, said that the street was plagued by rowdy yobs making their way back from nights out in Ipswich.

"You can't afford just to keep replacing wing mirrors. But there's nothing to be done."