There are fears a serial car vandal is targeting the Baxter Park area of Dundee after 30 vehicles were wilfully damaged in the latest attack.
Four streets around the park have been targeted at night for the third time in four months, with Saturday’s incident bearing a similarity to two previous episodes. The suspect is again thought to be a single white male carrying a knife or screwdriver.
Local councillor Ken Lynn said, “This is definitely sinister. I think there may be a serial car vandal on the loose.
“The vehicles were scratched along their bodywork by someone wielding a sharp instrument and the scratches were all at the same level.
“In the two previous incidents in October and November the vehicles were damaged in exactly the same way. This suggests to me it is the same person doing it someone of a certain height because their hand can run along the sides of the vehicles in a straight line.
“If there were two or more people carrying out the attacks then the score marks would be in different places because the people wouldn’t all be of exactly the same height. These attacks have all been on the same parts of the cars.”TargetedPolice confirmed 30 vehicles parked between Saturday evening and Sunday morning in Baxter Park Terrace, Wortley Place, Pitkerro Road and Anstruther Road had been vandalised. Most of the vehicles targeted in Baxter Park Terrace were on the park side of the street but a few were on the flats side. Wortley Place and Anstruther Road are on the opposite side of the park while Pitkerro Road joins all three roads.
Mr Lynn, who lives in Baxter Park Terrace, said, “The first I knew of this was when I looked out and saw neighbours at their cars speaking to the police.
“I thought ‘Oh no, not again,’ and dashed outside, but I was told it had happened again. I was told exactly the same streets had been affected. The motorists whose cars had been damaged were shaking their heads in disbelief.
“Someone seems to be singling out this area and we’ve no idea why. In chatting to those affected it seems no one was aware of any group of people roaming the streets at that time.
“There was a report of a single white male being seen going up the road exactly the same rough description of the suspect before.”
Mr Lynn added, “This is sickening. In some cases the same people have had their cars vandalised again and again, and it’s costing them a lot of money.”VictimOne of the victims in Wortley Place, who pleaded not to be identified for fear that they would be singled out for yet another attack, said, “This is the third time this has happened to me, and I don’t know who is doing it or why.
“I can’t bear to think how much all of this is costing in getting the scratches fixed and resprayed. The best way to catch the culprit is for CCTV to be installed, and that is what I would like to see happen.”
In the first attack in October 15 vehicles were scratched and in the second in November no fewer than 70 received the same treatment.
Police studied CCTV footage filmed one night showing a single white male walking along and slowing down at some vehicles. The footage was grainy, so it was sent to a digital enhancement lab to make the man easier to identify but that failed.
Mr Lynn added, “This should be a nice part of Dundee but these attacks are ruining people’s lives. They’re scared to leave their cars outside in case it happens again.
“If anyone knows who is doing this, or has any information which might be useful, I appeal to them to contact the police or tell me.”
Anyone with information should call the police on 0300 111 2222, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.