Callous vandals who have damaged more than 300 cars across High Wycombe in just two months must be stopped and “locked-up” soon, Wycombe’s police chief has said.

Another 36 vehicles had their windows smashed in the town in the early hours of Monday morning, leading to Superintendent Ed McLean to call on residents to help bring the criminals to justice.

Five people have been charged and remanded in custody since the “unprecedented” spate of vandalism started in early March, but a new wave appears to have started as police hunt for two people who have been seen riding a motorbike and damaging vehicles.

Supt McLean said: “I don’t think in all my time in Thames Valley I have ever seen this level of consistent criminality. If you take it as victims, over 300 victims have been impacted on in such a short time.

“It’s our number one priority on the LPA because we don’t want innocent members of the public having their cars smashed by people who have absolutely no respect for the law and absolutely no respect for people who live in Wycombe.

“It’s a tiny minority, they are criminals. They’ve got beef with the police, they don’t care about law and order and they don’t care about the impact on the public.”

Bucks Free Press:

Thames Valley Police have had to call in horse patrols.

The first attacks, which saw almost 140 vehicles damaged across four days, was originally linked with the verdict of the Habib Ullah inquest – looking into the death of a man who died while in police custody.

However, police believe the latest attacks around the Castlefield, Booker and Cressex areas have been carried out by “copycat” vandals, with officers praising community groups and residents for their efforts to stamp it out.

Supt McLean added: “We will do all we can to stop them and we ask them to please stop doing it. We’ve had some members of the public who have had their car windows smashed three times.

“We’ve done lots already increasing patrols, bringing in horse and dog units. Now we have a dedicated team and in places where we think offending is likely to happen we’ve got increased patrols.

“The reality is that why this offending continues it impacts on our neighbourhood team and all the other stuff the community what they want to do.”