Tyre slashers provoke fear and fury

6:05pm Sunday 21st October 2007

Comments (33)   Have your say »

Families are terrified of confronting a knife-wielding teenage gang which is terrorising a housing estate.

The yobs yesterday (Sunday) slashed dozens of car tyres, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage, in Woodingdean, Brighton.

Householders said more than 40 vehicles were targeted by out of control youngsters.

Now people are calling for more police protection because they fear it is only a matter of time before somebody is stabbed.

Residents said they had complained for years about gangs jumping on cars and setting them alight.

But they fear confronting youths carrying weapons after a spate of murders nationwide.

Marion East, 55, of Rudyard Road, said she was one of more than 40 people whose cars were targeted across the estate.

Other roads affected included Rudyard Close, The Ridgway and Deans Road.

She said: "It is only a matter of time before the police are round here dealing with a murder.

"People have had enough and soon someone will go outside to confront the people doing this.

"But if they are slashing tyres they must be carrying weapons in their hands.

"Unfortunately we usually keep our car in the garage but we got in late at night and left it in the road."

Father-of-two Gary Juden, 40, of Rudyard Road, also fell victim to the tyre slashers.

He said: "It means we have people round here walking around with blades.

"If one of us tries to stop them when they are damaging our cars we will get stabbed.

"After this incident, knowing they are going round doing tyres, it is only a matter of time.

"I have lived here for ten years and every vehicle I have had has been jumped all over, smashed up or had its windows put through.

"I understand how overstretched police are but something has to be done. We need active policing."

Father-of-two Jon Wilson, 31, of Rudyard Road, was forced to change a tyre on his BMW.

He said: "Looking at the mark on the tyre it has been caused by a sharp knife.

"If they did get confronted who knows what they would do.

"In January my fiancee, Vicky, had a classic Volkswagen Beetle ruined.

"They stamped on the bonnet, smashed the rear lights and stabbed the tyres.

"We have lived here for about three years but we have considered moving because of it."

Geoffrey Wells, Brighton and Hove city councillor for Woodingdean, urged people speak up and identify the culprits.

He said: "If someone approaches them and one feels rather brave they could pull out a knife.

"The people have got to be prepared to speak up and say who is who to clamp down on the gangs.

"I'd welcome more police but what does concern me is they seem to have their hands cuffed behind their backs with the amount of paperwork."

A Sussex police spokesman could not confirm how many cars were damaged and was unable to comment further.

On Saturday, The Argus reported how pensioner William Crockford, 73, of Neville Road, Hove, caused £14,000 damage to cars in his neighbourood by scraping them with a key.

Brighton magistrates heard how he was angry that office workers were leaving residents with nowhere to park.

Crockford was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay a total of £1,800 to his victims.