Vandals went on a wrecking spree targeting more than 50 cars in a Southampton street.

Police have now launched an investigation after residents woke yesterday morning to find the damage.Tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused in the incident which saw 57 vehicles damaged on Blendworth Lane.
A sharp object was used in the spree which took place on just one city road.
One of the worst affected was 19-year-old Laura Porter.

She had her Ford Fiesta, which she had owned for just over two months, scratched on the bonnet, the driver’s side door and the boot.

Ms Porter told the Daily Echo she had saved up for more than four years to be able to afford the vehicle, which was her first car.

“I just can’t believe what has happened,” said Ms Porter, who was staying with her boyfriend Scott Winter at the time.

“I am absolutely gutted this has happened and just want to find out why they did it.

“I do not get what (the people that did this) have gotten out of it; it is just so mindless.”

The animal nursing assistant, of Locks Heath, added: “I never thought something like this would happen to me.”

Police, who are now investigating the incident, said the damage was caused between 9.30pm on Saturday (Oct 1) and 4.30am yesterday (Oct 2).

They added that neighbourhood policing team officers have been speaking to victims, conducting house-to-house enquiries and distributed witness appeal leaflets in the area.

Southampton city councillor for Harestock, Cllr Daniel Fitzhenry, blasted the culprits and said working with the police was the best way to prevent this happening in the future. 

“The first thing we need to do is to understand what has happened and get together with the police to find a way to stop this happening in the future,” said the councillor.

“Unfortunately we cannot police every street every day, but we want to the police to be as visible as possible.”

He added: “It is a mindless, unthoughtful and careless act of vandalism by somebody with no regard of anyone else.”

At the time of printing, noone had been arrested in connection with the incident.

Fellow resident Thomas Cannon had two cars damaged in the incident.

He said: “It is just mindless vandalism.

“It must have been one person that did it; I don’t think it was a group otherwise I would have heard them in the night.

“There is nothing we can do about it”

He added that he may have to dip into his own pocket and install security cameras to catch vandals in the future.

Another local who was affected, but did not want to be named, said she was shocked to find her car damaged this morning.

“In all the years I have lived here I have never seen anything like this,” she added.

“Some times we have wing mirrors kicked off but never anything like this. It is just really upsetting.”

Anyone with information is asked to phone 101 quoting reference 4416031870.