Graffiti vandals have been branded “mindless hooligans” for targeting cars and vans in Baildon .

Residents faced a huge clean-up operation after discovering their vehicles had been sprayed with silver paint while they were parked in St Aidan’s Road, St Anne’s Terrace and in Green Road over the bank holiday weekend.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said the vehicles on St Anne's Terrace and Green Road had their windows, doors and bonnets sprayed with paint and the vehicles on St Aidan's Road had a “phallic symbol” sprayed on them.

Resident Brian Ashley, of St Anne’s Terrace, said a Vauxhall Astra, a Vauxhall Corsa and a Ford Mondeo had been among five cars in the street which had been vandalised.

He said: “There was paint all over the windows and the side of the cars and I have had to clean it all off. It was a good job it wasn’t permanent or I would have been looking at an expensive re-spray.”

A resident of Green Road – where two vehicles were targeted – said the vandals had spray-painted the side of her company van and had knocked off the wing mirror.

“It is just annoying. It is such a pain,” she said.

Her neighbour, Susan Wincup said she had heard bins being knocked over and bottles smashing. Her next door neighbour also had a wing mirror smashed when the vandals went on the rampage on Sunday and Monday. She said: “I have got some statues and they have tried to come in and take them as well, but have dropped them. I think it is the same people coming up from the estate at the end of Green Road. I don’t think they are very old, but what they are doing is terrible.”

Bradford Councillor Roger L’Amie (Con, Baildon), said: “I think this is a piece of mindless hooliganism. I hope the police apprehend whoever is doing this and the courts deal with them in the strictest way possible.”

Police are now appealing for the public’s help to trace the vandals.

Anyone with information should contact Sergeant 926 Khalid Khan at Shipley on 101 or via Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.