CHIPPENHAM NEWS: CALLOUS vandals put a baby's life at risk and disrupted a school bus service for the disabled after going on a tyre-slashing spree in Chippenham.

Six Home James taxis had their tyres slashed outside separate addresses around the town in the early hours of Monday morning.

Police believe it could have been a revenge attack because the vandals knew where all the cars were parked.

The vehicles, which included two with wheelchair facilities, were off the road during the morning and the firm, in Palmer Street, was left with a £1,000 repair bill.

Manager Ross Skinner, who woke up to find flat tyres on his taxi parked in London Road, said the vandals' actions meant he would not have been able to rush his 18-month-old asthmatic daughter, Jodie, to hospital in an emergency.

He said: "She has been in and out of hospital since she was born and has had severe attacks. That night I wouldn't have been able to take her to hospital so she could have died."

Home James proprietor Jim Mitchell said the firm would now be reviewing security measures.

He said: "These small-minded individuals lack intelligence and need psychological help. At the end of the day it is an isolated incident but we intend to increase security. We are not prepared to discuss what we are planning to do because forewarned is forearmed.

"If this individual or this group of people wish to try again then we want to make sure they will not be in the loop next time."

Mr Mitchell said the attack was 'completely callous and thoughtless' because half of their taxis were off the road, making life difficult for the special needs children they take to school.

He said: "Although our life was made difficult we were able to get everyone to where they had to go."

The 38-year-old, who has been running the second largest taxi firm in Chippen-ham for seven years, is helping police to catch the culprits.

"The vehicles had all their tyres slashed apart from a taxi parked in Field View," he said.

"I believe one of its tyres was slashed in the early hours of Monday morning and the vandals could not get to the rest of the tyres because they were disturbed by someone."

Anyone with information can phone Chippenham police on (01249) 654455.