Village cars are attacked

In Ben Rhydding a number of cars have been scratched and their tyres slashed. Some residents say they are afraid to leave their vehicles unattended.

John Round, 41, a company director, of Margerison Road, said his Renault Laguna had twice been attacked. On one occasion he awoke to hear his tyre bursting as it was slashed. He said: "Somebody slashed a tyre on my car while it was parked outside my house. A couple of months ago somebody scratched it all the way along one side while it was parked just around the corner in Denton Road. Other cars in that road show similar scratches."

Mr Round's wife, Julie, a teacher, said that she had been quite shaken by the sinister nocturnal activity.

She said: "It just seems such a futile and pointless act. Whoever slashed the tyres has obviously come out with the intention of doing so because the police said that quite a large knife had been used."

Other people in vicinity say that their cars bear similar marks. Emma Bonner, of Margerison Road, said she could not account for the large scratch on her Peugeot 406. She said: "Some of these marks do certainly seem to be suspicious, although I think we have been quite lucky compared with some of the other residents. Most of the worst attacks seem to have taken place on Denton Road or further up Margerison Road where it is quite dark."

James Griffett, a writer, who works from his home in Denton Road, said that a series of deep scratches had appeared across three body panels on his car.He said: "This is clearly a very childish act. I can only assume it was done by some youths who were drunk."

Mr Round said: "I think this should be brought to people's attention. If we can raise attention of what's going on then we might be able to stop this senseless behaviour."

Inspector Sergeant Alan Gee, of Keighley Police Station, said that he could not speculate on what or who had caused the scratches. He added that people needed to report such

incidences to the police.