80 cars have tyres slashed

AROUND 80 cars had their tyres slashed by a gang who worked their way through two estates early one morning in 2000.

They caused damage costing in excess of £12,000.

It came as a rude awakening for the residents of Drumbeg and Meadowbrook.

They found themselves with no way to get to work and facing hefty bills.

By mid-morning every square to the back of both estates looked more like a wrecker’s yard. Cars lay dead on their rims and others were jacked up at unlikely angles.

One family had four cars damaged. The old, the disabled,the unemployed - none escaped.

One car even had the boot opened and the spare slashed.

Most vehicles had every tyre cut or punctured.

It seems the perpetrators worked their way quickly but systematically along the back of Drumbeg and down into Meadowbrook.

Neighbours soon worked out that the attacks took place between 5.30am and 6am.

It didn’t take them much longer to come up with a few names of those they believed responsible.

“I saw a couple of them up the road laughing earlier this morning,” said one man.

“They were on their way home for a sleep. They’re like vampires.”

The victims all had to find over £100 to get their vehicles back on the road.

They were very angry but also frustrated that a small gang should be let run riot for so long.

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