A BUS stop was trashed and a car was set on fire in a spate of criminal damage incidents.

Members of the public called police after a bus stop outside the row of shops at the junction of Timberlog Lane and Long Riding, Basildon, was destroyed by yobs.

A pile of shattered glass surrounded the shelter after four planes of glass were smashed.

A timetable board had also been pulled down.

A dad-of-one, who lives off Hockley Road, Basildon, was driving past the bus stop on Saturday morning when he spotted the damage.

It has since been boarded up.

The 40-year-old, who did not want to be named, said: "All the glass was all over the floor. It just looks awful when you see it like that.

"It attracted my attention when I drove past it.

"It just seems to be youths causing a nuisance.

"These kind of things happen constantly around here. They should have CCTV cameras up in the area to catch those responsible."

Police are also appealing for witnesses to a car fire, believed to have been started deliberately.

Firefighters were called to the fire in a field off Quilters Straight, Basildon, at about 4.30am on Saturday.

Fire crews wearing breathing apparatus and using a hose reel jet extinguished the blaze after 20 minutes.

PC Marek Jaworski, from Basildon Police, attended the scene to investigate the cause of the fire.

He said that the car, thought to be stolen, was unrecognisable and any distinguishing features had been destroyed by the blaze.

He said: "We have no idea who the car belongs to.

"We think it is a Ford Ka but we only know that through the shape of the car.

"There was one stolen in a millennium burglary a couple of weeks ago.

"We have had a right look around the car but we cannot tell who it belongs to.

"The council has now been to pick the car up and take it away."

Anyone with information can call Essex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.