Vandals went on the rampage slashing the tyres of scores of cars in a quiet street in Staffordshire. Residents in Heath Hayes, Cannock, woke on Sunday morning to find their cars had been targeted while yobs had thrown eggs at some houses.

More cars were then attacked the following night, leaving some people not able to get to school or work on Monday.

Joe Castro, aged 39, who had two of his cars, a Vauxhall and a Citroen,  targeted over the two nights, said his whole family had been frightened by the attacks.

He said: “I’m a lorry driver but haven’t been able to get to work today. My family are really upset about it. We just don’t know what they will do next. It is really unnerving and upsetting and also annoying. We are now all going to have to get new tyres for our cars because of it, and so close to Christmas it’s just not fair.

Neighbour Lesley McCafferty said on the Saturday night, four teenagers knocked on their door asking for someone called ‘Martin’ but when they said they had the wrong house, they ran away sniggering and heard them saying they would do it to another house, so they told them to go away.

However the next morning they saw at least 10 cars had their tyres slashed, and houses covered in eggs.

“We never have any trouble in our street and a week before Christmas quite a few families will be out of pocket because of their mindless act,” she said.

The father of one of the victims, David Chatterton, criticised the police for only sending a community support officer and not having a greater police presence in the area. He said: “We have had eight tyres slashed on our cars and the whole street has been targeted. We think we know who did it but the police have not done anything.”

Stockwell Tyre Services in Norton Canes, has offered to replace the tyres for £20 each as a gesture of goodwill.

A police spokesman insisted the crime was being investigated. Anyone with information should contact Staffordshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.