TYRES were slashed and windows were smashed in an early morning vandalism spree.

Six cars parked on the island were targeted on Thursday and Friday.

Carl and Emma Griffiths, of St Marks Road, Canvey, have been left with a hefty repair bill they can’t afford as they prepare for their daughter’s christening.

Their Ford Focus had its tyres slashed and front windscreen broken at about 1.40am on Friday.

It meant Mr Griffiths was unable to get to work.

The 36-year-old said: “We really could have done without this. Instead of sorting out our youngest daughter’s christening, and our eldest daughter’s birthday, we are having to deal with police and insurers to try and get this fixed.

“Having spoken to some of our neighbours, we counted up to six cars which were damaged and they all seemed to have their tyres slashed.

“I can remember being woken up after hearing a loud bang, so I went downstairs to check it out.

“At first I thought it was somebody trying to break into a neighbour’s property, but when I went outside, I couldn’t see anything.

“It was only the next morning when I saw a bit of a commotion going on outside the car, that’s when I saw the damage.

“It’s so frustrating that there are people who are doing this.”

Dave Blackwell, leader of the Canvey Independent Party, hit out at the “mindless” vandals.

He said: “We had a spate of this about four or five years ago, where cars were just getting damaged on a regular basis.

“I just cannot understand it for the life of me, what goes through the mind of these vandals.

“There are good, hardworking people who simply can’t afford to keep spending cash repairing damage caused by people who have no respect.

“There’s been a few incidents involving cars recently, particularly around the Winter Gardens area too which is very worrying.

“I remember one of them involving a police car which was parked up, and it was set on fire.”

“It’s just mindless vandalism.”

The Echo told last month how an arson attack was launched after a police car parked in Link Road, Canvey, went up in flames.

A spokesman for Essex Police urged anyone with information about acts of vandalism to get in touch.

The spokesman added: “The front windscreen of a Ford Focus was smashed in St Marks Road, Canvey, sometime between 7pm on September 22 and 7.30am on September 23.

“Witnesses are asked to call police on 101.”