15100/01GAZETTE & HERALD: Disabled mum Amanda Murray says vandals are blighting her life and the health of her sons, after repeated attacks on her car.

The family have moved house in a bid to escape the misery but the attacks continued and, in the latest incident, all four tyres of Mrs Murray's Motability car were slashed.

Mrs Murray, of Ladyfield Road, Chippenham, suffers painful cellulitis and lymphedema, which cause her legs to swell.

She has limited mobility and relies on her car to ferry around herself and her two sons Joshua, 14, and Charlie, 11, but its paintwork has been repeatedly scratched, with the vandalism escalating to the tyre slashing incident overnight on Friday.

"I can't believe this is happening," said Mrs Murray, who suspects the culprit is someone who knows them and has grudge against them.

The family moved from the London Road area to Ladyfield Road in September because of the attacks while the car was parked outside their home.

They hoped to start a new life without the worry and hassle but were devastated when the trouble actually got worse.

Elder son Joshua, a pupil at Sheldon School, is appealing for the criminals to leave his mother's car alone.

"I just want it to stop," he said. "Life would be so lovely if it did.

"I'm off school because I'm having really bad headaches, because of the stress."

Joshua said he couldn't sleep well at night because every time he heard a noise outside he went to the window straight away to see what it was.

The car is parked on the road and as they have no driveway or garage there is nowhere secure to keep it and they have no way to prove the identity of the offender. Mrs Murray said it was intolerable living in the atmosphere of fear and felt the family was living under siege.

She said she had to sit up late at night watching the car to make sure no-one attacked it.

The car has been scratched three times since the family moved to Ladyfield Road and all the incidents have been reported to the police.

Joshua said: "My mum put her car into Chippenham Accident and Repair Centre and while she had her car

resprayed she had one of their courtesy cars. She brought it home and later found out that this car was also scratched all along the side."

The car was scratched again on January 3 and then between 9pm Friday and 7.15am Saturday the tyres were all slashed causing £150 damage.

Joshua added: "My mum got up to take me on my paper round, and she asked me whether there was anything stopping the car from moving.

"I looked down and saw that she had a flat tyre, then looked at all the others and all were slit three times.

"My mum phoned the police again and told them what happened again. The policewoman who my mum spoke to could not believe what was happening to my mum's car."

The Murrays are keen to gather evidence about the identity of the vandals.

A police spokesman said they were aware Mrs Murray had been a victim of vandalism before and took the report of victimisation very seriously particularly as she was disabled.

"Clearly for anyone to have their tyres slashed, it is very distressing," he said. "When it is all the tyres and the driver is disabled, it creates unique and serious difficulties for them.

"The police are appealing for any information from anyone who believes they can help the police with their enquiries."

Joshua said: "It's about time now they left my mum and my brother and myself alone, we are not doing any thing to them."

Anyone with information should contact Chippenham police station on (01249) 654455.