A SPATE of car vandalism in York has continued with a third incident in as many weeks.

This time it was several quiet residential terraces off Haxby Road that were hit - next to Clifton where car vandals have also targeted recently.

In the early hours of Monday morning, windows were smashed in about ten cars in Hambleton Terrace and several more in neighbouring streets.

Colin Barton, 43, said he heard a noise at around 4am just an hour or so before getting up to go to work.

Colin, of Hambleton Terrace, said: "I heard a noise and got up and looked out of the window but I could not see anything, so didn't think any more of it.

"But when I went outside later to go to work I saw all the damage and told my wife who raised the alarm.

"It looks like someone has gone down the street attacking the cars with a hammer.

"One of the rear windows on my car was broken. I got it fixed by getting a replacement at a scrap yard, but I know families down this road who have had two cars vandalised causing £250 of damage."

Colin, who works in construction, said the incident was unusual because nothing had happened in the area for at least 12 months.

He said before that, the residents had come together and organised a key to lock a gate from a cycle track that youths sometimes used to access the area from Clifton.

Colin said: "It would be nice to have some help looking after the area and for someone else to help with the responsibility for the key."

His efforts are being supported by new police and community support officers Gill Kitson and Julie White who have just taken over the area after Sergeant Shaun Page, who runs the Clifton neighbourhood team, separated the district into mini-beats.

PCSO Gill Kitson said: "We are looking for local residents to come together to perhaps form a residents' association or to help with the administration of this key for the gate to the cycle path.

"We are hoping to get more people involved to help rejuvenate the area and look out for each other."

After the car vandalism the PCSOs said they leafleted all of the affected houses.

Any of the residents in the area who would like to provide some assistance should phone 0845 60 60 247 and ask for the Clifton Neighbourhood Policing Team.