AN appeal for CCTV footage has been launched to catch vandals who caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to 30 cars in Prestwich.

Two men kicked off the wing mirrors, scratched paint, dented bodywork and jumped off the bonnets between 6am and 7am last Saturday (July 5).

Police say the offenders had left a house party in Grundy Avenue and began their wrecking spree in Cawley Avenue, where three vehicles were damaged.

They moved along Lowther Road, Scott Road, Masefield Avenue and Byron Avenue, targeting cars including a Peugeot 206, Vauxhall Corsa, Renault Clio and Kia Sportage.

The men, aged in their early 20s, then cut through an alleyway in Ruskin Road into Prestwich Clough.

One man from Prestwich was later arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and possession of an offensive weapon and has been released on bail pending further inquiries.

Prestwich police officers are now appealing to any members of the public who have CCTV covering any of the streets which were targeted.

Amanda Kenyon, who has lived in Scott Road for 18 months, had about £100 worth of damage caused to her Vauxhall Astra when both its wing mirrors were kicked off.

She said: “It isn’t just the plastic casing which has been kicked off my wing mirrors; all the electric wiring is gone too.

“I am not happy that the suspects are walking around when they have done all that – how do we know they won’t come and do it again, or do worse?”

Police believe there could have been more incidents but they had gone unreported or the owners of the cars had not yet realised.

Harold White, of Masefield Avenue, saw the two men kicking and denting three cars parked on the other side of his street at around 6.50am.

Mr White, who has lived there for 52 years, said: “I woke up and I could hear two lads shouting and swearing – they wanted a reaction and for people to hear them.

“They didn’t see me looking out of the window but anyone they did see they were abusing and telling them to come out into the road for a fight.

“They were not drunk, they looked to be walking steadily. This is a quiet cul-de-sac and nothing like this has happened here for a long time.”

Mr White said one man was around 5ft 9in and dressed in black and the second was 5ft 6in and wearing white trousers and a brown top.

Aleeah White, also of Masefield Avenue, said the two men kicked over all of her bins as they left the street, strewing rubbish across her garden.

Separate damage to cars parked in Prestwich Park Road and St Ann’s Road is still being investigated and may not be linked.

Detective Sergeant Benjamin Cottam, of Bury Police, said: “What we are dealing with is mindless, wanton vandalism on a very large scale.

“This was not one or two cars that were scratched but at least 30 cars, probably more, that sustained considerable damage at the hands of these vandals.

”These individuals have caused a lot of upheaval and upset in this community and we will do everything we can to identify those involved.

”It is not just the financial hassle of paying for repairs that has upset the victims but the time it will take to rearrange work and home commitments to arrange for those repairs and sort out the mess caused by two wanton vandals.”

Anyone with information or CCTV can call police on 101 or 0161 856 8204 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Footage can also be emailed to burysouth@gmp.police.uk