Vandals smash Christmas lights outside several homes in Harborough - and also target cars

Vandals carried out a devastating wave of over a dozen attacks on people’s outside Christmas lights and decorations as well as cars and plants in Market Harborough at the weekend.

The culprits targeted a big cluster of homes in at least eight streets – as well as local allotments – off Coventry Road late on Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday morning.

The offenders are now being hunted by police as footage was posted on Facebook of a young man and woman appearing to slash a Christmas wreath off someone’s front door and steal their tree pot.

Furious Cllr Phil King, who leads Harborough council, told the Harborough Mail: “This is just outrageous.

“It’s despicable, moronic, cowardly behaviour.

“The mindless people behind this shattering onslaught should hand themselves in to the police straight away and face the consequences for their idiotic actions.”

He hit out after police were flooded with “numerous reports” on Sunday morning about “damage caused to exterior Christmas decorations, vehicles and garden items at a number of locations in the town”.

“There were also reports that some exterior Christmas decorations had been stolen,” said Leicestershire Police.

“It is believed the same person or people are responsible for each incident.”

The astonishing string of criminal incidents late on Saturday and early on Sunday include:

· Gardiner Street – The wire of Christmas lights being cut between 1am and 2am; a wreath being stolen from the front door of a property overnight; plant pots from a garden thrown into the road between 1.25am and 1.30am; lights on an outside Christmas tree cut between 1am and 1.30am

· Morley Street – the wire of lights on an outside Christmas tree being cut between 2am and 2.30am; the rope of a fence being cut between 6pm on Saturday and 11am on Sunday; damage caused to a Vauxhall Adam car between 7.25pm on Saturday and 9.10am on Sunday

· Highfield Street – a wreath on the front door of a property being cut up between 1.30am and 1.35am

· Wartnaby Street – rubbish and plant pots removed from a garden and thrown and a Volkswagen Golf being damaged at around 2am; Christmas lights damaged and a wreath stolen between midnight and 8.30am

· Logan Street – a wreath stolen from the front door of a property at around 1.45am; an outside Christmas tree and decorations stolen between midnight and 7am

· Clarke Street – the lights on an outside Christmas tree being cut between 10.30pm on Saturday and 7.45am on Sunday

· Highcross Street – damage caused to a Vauxhall Insignia between 4pm on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday

· East Street – the wire of external Christmas lights being cut between 11pm on Saturday and 8am on Sunday.

One of the victims, who lives on Wartnaby Street, told the Mail: “I just can’t believe what these idiots did.

“I switched off our Christmas lights across the top of our front door at about 10.30pm on Saturday night.

“They were fine.

“I got up Sunday morning and found that they’d been snipped in two over the door.

“And the festive star hanging on my front door had been thrown out into the road.

“Why would anyone want to do this?”

The angry 51-year-old dad-of-two added: “It sounds as if these louts rampaged around all the streets around here attacking people’s Christmas lights, decorations and what ever else they could get their hands on.

“What motivates someone to do that late at night before Christmas in the bitter cold and pitch darkness?

“It’s just so mean and nasty.

“I’ve ordered some new lights because these yobs aren’t going to beat me.

“A lot of people have put their Christmas lights out early this year after a terrible year with the pandemic.

“Now they’ve got the hassle and expense of having to buy new lights or decs – it’s just disgusting and makes me sick.

“The people who did this need help.”

Bill Anhoury, 77, of Wartnaby Street, said: “They smashed one of my plant pots all over the road.

“I’ve lived here 30 years and I’ve never known anything like this before.

“It’s just mindless.”

Julia Ashenden, 61, of nearby Charles Street, said she saw Bill’s house being targeted at about 2am on Sunday morning.

“I’m a light sleeper and jumped out of bed when I heard a sort of rattling outside in the street.

“I actually saw Bill’s pot being flying through the air before landing in the road with a mighty crash,” she said.

“I couldn’t see the people who did it because it was too dark.

“I’ve heard about all the attacks on people’s Christmas lights, trees and decs around here and it’s very sad.

“People have made an extra-special effort this year and this sort of behaviour is just sickening.

“The people who did this should be ashamed.”

A pensioner on Charles Street told the Mail that the pot plants in his front garden were attacked – along with several allotments on Stevens Street, off Logan Street.

“None of us can believe that this has happened in Market Harborough.

“The morons who did this should be caught and locked up,” he said.

Asked what he thought about the culprits, Cllr King declared: “I’d use words that you can’t print in a family newspaper.

“They have to be nailed by the police, charged, taken to court and punished.

“Scores of households have suffered during this absolutely moronic spate of criminal damage.

“Christmas is all about sending a Christian message of peace on earth, reconciliation and working together alongside one another.

“This is totally unacceptable – both in Market Harborough and anywhere else come to that.”

The Conservative council chief added: “This mini-crimewave was entirely premeditated.

“The offenders knew exactly what they were doing – it’s absolutely sickening and our local police have got to catch those responsible.”

Sgt Darren Richardson, deputy commander for Harborough and Wigston Neighbourhood Policing Area (NPA), said: “It’s been a tough year for everyone and people are cheering themselves up by getting into the Christmas spirit and putting decorations up.

“However, their celebrations have been ruined by needless acts of vandalism.

“There may be people living in the community that know who was responsible.

“I would ask anyone with information about any of these incidents to contact us.

“Any details you’re able to provide – and any footage you may have from CCTV or a dashcam – could help our investigation.”

You can pass on information online by visiting https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ and quoting the master crime reference number – 20*643959.

Alternatively call 101.

Always call 999 in an emergency.