DOZENS of residents woke to find their car tyres had been slashed during the night.

A vandal or vandals went on the rampage in Pocklington late on Wednesday or early on Thursday, striking repeatedly in several streets.

Police called the damage "mindless vandalism".

Among those affected were a young family who had to put off their planned trip to see the children's grandmother and whose father had to find alternative means of getting to work.

There were nine reported incidents in the London Street area, as well as further reports on Algarth Rise and St Helens Avenue in the town. Some residents had up to three punctured tyres on their car.

The puncturing spree is thought to have happened between 8pm on Wednesday and 8am on Thursday

Matthew Bellwood, 25, of Victoria Road, Pocklington, whose three children aged eight, two and eight months old were unable to see their grandmother said: "It's very distressing, and it's not the first time this has happened. It always seems to happen around the same time each year."

The family people carrier was among the vehicles damaged and as a result, he had to find alternative means to getting to work which meant that he didn't get home until after his children had gone to bed.

He expects to be cadging lifts to work for some time to come.

"Things are very, very tight in the house," he said. "We cannot afford new tyres - it's £50 for a tyre."

A staff member at a local garage estimated they had had over 50 cars in requiring new tyres that day. He said: "We haven't yet analysed all the tyres but it looks like they've been stabbed."

Humberside Police would like to hear from anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area or people acting strangely around cars.

On the Pocklington group on facebook, one resident said nearly every car in London Street had been targeted, while another said there had also been victims around Sherbuttgate Road.

PCSO Mike Simpson said: “We are really keen to identify who is responsible for this mindless vandalism. I would appeal to the public to call the police with any information about who may be responsible.”

Anyone with information should call Humberside Police on 101, quoting log 196 of 03/09/15 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.