AT LEAST eight cars and vans were targetted during a spate of tyre slashings in Kendal at the weekend.

Police say they are pursuing “a number of lines of enquiry” following the incidents, which took place at six different locations and left residents with repair bills totalling more than a thousand pounds.

On Friday night a car and van were targetted on Castle Street, while a third car was damaged on Gooseholme.

During the day on Saturday, vandals struck at the Leisure Centre on Burton Road, where two cars were attacked, while that night, on Grosvenor Court, offenders slashed all four tyres of a car as well as damaging the owner’s house door.

A vehicle parked at the Castle Street Centre also had its tyres done on Saturday night, while £250 worth of damage was caused to a car parked outside the Old Bakery in Kirkland when vandals scratched the roof and snapped off windscreen wipers.

Crime prevention officer Terry Belshaw said police were investigating whether the incidents were linked.

“These are stupid, malicious attacks that we intend to get to the bottom of. Every now and then spates of criminal damage occur but tyre slashing is a particularly nasty offence as it requires the offender to carry something sharp and more effort than just running a key down the side of a vehicle. It can be very distressing for people.”

Anyone with information on any of the incidents is asked to contact Kendal Police on 0845-3300247 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800-555111.