Car yobs in wrecking spree in Capital

Alon Palmer woke to find his windscreen smashed. Pic: Neil Hanna

Vandals targeted at least five vehicles in North Gyle Loan, East Craigs, during the early hours of Sunday morning.

Police are appealing for witnesses after families woke to find glass smashed and wing mirrors kicked off.

Alon Palmer, a captain in the merchant navy, branded the thugs “mindless” after both his Volvo XC70 and wife’s C70 were attacked.

“There are footprints on the bonnets so it looks like they ran over the cars and stamped on the windscreens,” said Alon, 60.

“I don’t know how much it’ll cost and the insurance company are sending someone out.

“It’s just mindless. We think it was kids from a party a few streets over and my daughter found an empty bottle nearby.”

A neighbour also had the windscreen of her family car smashed.

“I woke up thinking I heard breaking glass but I told myself it wasn’t someone outside,” said the 38-year-old mum-of-two, who declined to be named.

“I just went back to sleep because I thought I was just tired with having to get up and feed the baby.

“I don’t know what they hoped to achieve by it, whether they were trying to take stuff from the cars. I don’t know what was going through their heads.

“We’re having to wait until tomorrow to get our windscreen fixed. I was told some cars further up the road were damaged as well.”

The weekend’s attack is the latest in a spate of vandalism against car owners across the city.

Earlier this month, five cars were trashed with a pole in Gosford Place, Newhaven. Windscreens were also kicked in and wing mirrors pulled off.

And in November, about 30 cars were hit across Granton, Boswall, Trinity and Hawthornvale as yobs marauded through nine streets.

“We lived here for four years and this is the first time we’ve had any problems so it’s not a regular thing,” said Alon.

“A neighbour has been here 40 years and he said he’s never had any problems in that time either.”

“I’m on leave today but will need the car tomorrow as I’m training – it’s a massive inconvenience.

“My wife’s car is a convertible and we don’t know yet whether it’s damaged the mechanism inside when they’ve pushed through the glass.”

Police are appealing for witnesses to the North Gyle Loan attacks.

“A substantial amount of damage has been caused to the vehicles involved,” said Sgt Richard Homewood.

“The actions of those responsible is disgraceful and we’re appealing for witnesses or anyone that can assist police.”

Anyone with information can contact Police Scotland on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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