Traveller kids blamed after 19 cars vandalised - London

From the Crawley and Purley Advertiser

A GROUP of Travellers – including children as young as seven – have been accused of vandalising nearly twenty cars before dumping piles of rubbish in a Coulsdon car park.

Police say they are investigating reports that nineteen cars were damaged in the council's Lion Green Road car park last Wednesday.

A group of Travellers are believed to have broken into the car park the night before.

One car owner told the Advertiser she returned to her car after work to find children as young as seven vandalising cars and being abusive to owners.

The woman, whom the Advertiser agreed not to name, said she the damage to her car had been estimated at £3,000, although nothing had been stolen from inside.

She said: "There were groups of young children – and I mean unbelievably young children, perhaps as young as seven – waiting around.

"They were swearing at people and called me a 'posh cow' and were being very abusive.

"The mirrors were smashed, no windscreen wipers and every single metal thing had been ripped off.

"I was quite worried as I still had my laptop bag with me."

Charles King, chairman of the East Coulsdon Residents' Association, said children from the roughly 15 caravans had been running across the car bonnets, and that the encampment had been left an "unbelievable mess".

Croydon Council said the Travellers had drilled the padlock on the car park gate to force entry on Tuesday night and were reported to the council on Wednesday morning.

A spokesman added that the encampment was evicted by 6pm Thursday and a grab lorry used to remove a " large amount" of fly-tipped rubbish left behind.

The council's parking team is exploring additional security measures, including CCTV, something Mr King is calling for.

A police spokesman said the damage was reported to them as car owners returned to their cars on Wednesday. He added that no arrests had been made and enquiries continue.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.