Cars vandalised in St Albans streets

HORRIFIED residents of four St Albans streets awoke on Tuesday morning to discover that vandals had keyed their cars, causing extensive damage and two others had been broken into.

In Tavistock Avenue and nearby Watling View, a total of eight vehicles were keyed while there was a similar incident in Creighton Avenue and theft from a car. A second car was broken into in Maynard Drive and police are linking the crimes.

One of the Tavistock Avenue residents who was affected but did not wish to be named said she had come out to find both her cars damaged and said: “One of my cars looked like Picasso had had a go at it.”

Her neighbour’s sports car had been even more badly keyed, she went on, and a lot of the damage was deep.

She said that all the cars had been parked on the road along a 200m stretch of the reoad and the owners were hugely upset that such a thing had happened just five days before Christmas.

She had discovered the damage at 7.30am on Tuesday morning when she was about to drive her mother to work but had not realised the extent of it until she got back: “At first I thought someone had driven along on a bike and had too much to drink and then I saw the other cars.”

She added: “We can’t claim on insurance and it devalues my better car financially. I just hope whoever did it thought it was worth it.”

PC Ben Kirby from the St Albans Neighbourhood Team is investigating and said: “This isn’t a frequent occurrence in the Sopwell area which is why it is particularly shocking for residents there. I would like to appeal who witnessed suspicious activity on that night in the areas mentioned to contact me as a matter of urgency.

“Anyone found engaging in this activity will be dealt with robustly.”

If you have any information please contact PC Kirby via the non-emergency number, 101 or via Crimestoppers, the independent charity, anonymously on 0800 555111.