CAR vandals went on a £2,000 wrecking spree at a Trowbridge garage slashing 23 tyres in one night.

Employees at Islington Motors in Bradford Road discovered the damage on Tuesday morning when they arrived at work.

Manager Nick Pike said nine cars were targeted overnight in what he believes could be a grudge attack.

Some of the cars, stored in a secure compound, were already purchased by customers and waiting to be picked up.

Mr Pike said CCTV cameras and lighting were being installed to guard against future incidents.

He said: "It makes you wonder if someone has an issue but its nothing we can fathom."

"I was annoyed. You don't expect to come in and find damage like this.

"The damage was done with some- thing like a Stanley knife."

Police fielded a deluge of car vandalism complaints from motorists in north and west Wiltshire over Christmas.

Four residents in Gladstone Road, Trowbridge, found their tyres had been slashed on Saturday night while reports of car vandalism were reported in Westbury, Bradford on Avon, Warm- inster, Melksham, Corsham, Calne and Chippenham.