Vandals on loose

MELANIE VERRAN

VANDALISM VICTIM: Riddell Rd resident Tracey Mouat had to sweep glass off the road on Sunday after her car windows were smashed.

MELANIE VERRAN

SHATTERED: A station wagon parked on Taniwha St was also targeted the same night.

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A CAR-SMASHING spree has angered residents and prompted calls for more vigilance in the community.

At least six cars in Glendowie and Glen Innes had their windows or windscreens smashed between midnight and 1am on Saturday and Sunday.

It is believed a car was being driven around while a man was swinging a golf club out the window at parked cars.

Riddell Rd resident Tracey Mouat was chatting with a friend in her courtyard about midnight when she heard "what sounded like gunshots" down the road.

"The next thing you know we heard it again right outside my place," she says.

"We ran up the driveway to have a look and both my driver's side window and the one behind it had been completely smashed in."

She heard the screech of tyres as a car sped away, but did not get a look at it.

On Sunday morning she saw another five cars on Riddell Rd, Roberta Ave and Taniwha St in Glen Innes that had been targeted.

"There was a Mercedes on Roberta Ave that had its front and back windscreens smashed in," Ms Mouat says.

"It was clearly some sort of rampage."

Taniwha St residents, who want to be known only as Mike and Mary-Ann, had two vehicles smashed the same night.

A Ford Falcon Mike had just sold was parked on the street behind a Ford Tierra station wagon he bought on Trade Me three weeks ago.

Mary-Ann looked outside about 1am and saw a skinny Maori or Pacific Island man with big, bushy hair hanging out of a sedan swinging a golf club at the cars.

"She said he had crazy white eyes.

"He was probably off his tree," Mike says.

The front windscreens on both Mike and Mary-Ann's cars were smashed, and the Tierra also lost a rear window.

Another neighbour across the street told Mike the culprits were driving a dark blue or green Holden VT Commodore.

With only third-party insurance, the damage is not covered for Mike or Ms Mouat.

Mike was quoted $600 to repair the windscreen on the obsolete model Tierra.

He has lived on the street for 20 years and says he has not had any trouble until now.

"It's never happened around here.

"We've only seen bus shelters broken but nothing like this before," he says.

Ms Mouat says because she is a single mum and a student, "it'll be a couple of months before I can afford to fix my car".

She wants Glendowie and Glen Innes residents to report similar incidents to police, and, if possible, note the car registration number.

Police say people should call 111 immediately if they see or hear cars being smashed.

If the damage is discovered later, they should call the police on 3026400 or visit their local police station.

- © Fairfax NZ News