TEENAGE yobs are being blamed after eight cars were targeted in a vandalism spree in Eastwood.

Frustrated residents reported hearing laughing and then seeing two teenage boys and two girls on a neighbour’s driveway before a car alarm sounded.

They then discovered the air from their car’s tyres had been let down, along with several others along the street, in Brookland Avenue, on Saturday night.

An 18-year-old woman who had just passed her driving test a week before, had her tyre slashed, although it is unclear what with.

She told the Echo: “I got a phone call from my brother because his tyres had been done and he saw that loads of others down the street had been done too.

“It’s really upsetting, I’ve only had the car for a month and just passed my test last week - that’s what’s got me the most. They even kicked the hub caps off my parents’ car.

“I’ve lived in Eastwood my whole life and only now am I not starting to feel safe.

“It’s disappointing. And they [the vandals] don’t even care.

“We really think they should close the park at night - that’s where they ran towards on the CCTV footage.

“My dad heard a car alarm go off when it happened and the time that happened matches up with where you can see one of the group running on the CCTV footage.

“Some of my neighbours saw the same group from the footage on someone’s driveway and heard them laughing, so they went out there to see what they were doing and they ran off. That’s when they saw that their car had been done too.

“It’s terrible.”

A spokesman for Essex Police, said: “We were called to multiple reports of criminal damage to cars in Brooklands Avenue, Southend, on June 15.

“Tyres had been cut, causing them to deflate on a number of vehicles including a silver Range Rover, three black Ford Fiestas, a silver Ford Fiesta, a grey Toyota Yaris, a black Vauxhall Corsa and a grey Vauxhall Zafira.

“These are believed to have occurred between 10.45pm and 10.50pm that evening.”

Anyone with information should call 101 quoting the crime reference number 42/94394/19.

“Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers in complete confidence on 0800 555 111.”