13798/1GAZETTE & HERALD: A DEVOTED son has sent out a plea to heartless vandals to leave his disabled mother's car alone.

Joshua Murray, 14, of London Road, Chippenham, lives with his 11- year-old brother Charlie and his mother, Amanda, who suffers limited mobility because of painful cellulitis and lymphedema, which cause her legs to swell.

The family relies on the use of a Mobility car, a Vauxhall Zafira, but the car has been plagued by attacks from vandals, who have scratched the paintwork and bent the aerial.

The family are desperate for the incidents to stop but the police are unable to help until they have evidence about who is causing the damage.

"We just want to live a happy life," said Joshua, a pupil at Sheldon School.

"I wish people would leave my mum's car alone. It's been damaged five times now."

The car stands in a parking area right behind the house and the vandalism started about a year ago.

Mysterious scratch marks began to appear on the sides of the car.

Mrs Murray reported the incidents to the police, and an officer attended the first time and took a statement.

Subsequent attacks have been reported and recorded but the Murrays said nothing had been done because they did not know the culprit.

Mrs Murray has had the car just over a year and because she finds it hard to walk, she relies on it to do the family shopping, to take her sons out and to visit her family.

But Joshua said the constant vandalism was putting them all under pressure.

Chippenham police said they were aware of the incidents and the most recent attack was recorded in July.

However, Sgt David Ibbott said car vandalism was an incredibly difficult crime to solve.

"Unless someone witnesses the offence it is really an almost impossible thing to sort out," he said.

"Forensic evidence in this kind of case is usually negligible, unless someone leaves a handprint or blood, and that is usually more likely if a car is stolen.

"If someone just scratches or smashes a car and then walks on they won't leave any forensic evidence."

He said London Road had suffered its fair share of criminal damage to motor vehicles this year.

He urged anyone with information about the attacks to step forward.

"Any information about any of these incidents would be gratefully received," he said.

"Preventing these attacks is also difficult if you don't have a garage, like this poor lady.

"We would urge everyone to be vigilant and call us if they see anyone hanging around vehicles."

The Murrays are hoping to leave their London Road home and have applied to Westlea Housing Association for a transfer to another property on the other side of town. Mrs Murray needs a downstairs bedroom and she said bad feeling between neighbours had made their lives a misery. "When we arrived it seemed like a lovely place to live, but it's been absolute hell living here," she said.