Car windows smashed overnight with ball bearings and bricks

Jun 13, 2023

THUGS went on a vandalism spree which saw ball bearings and even bricks smashed through the windows of cars.

Residents along Blandford Road between Upton and Hamworthy woke up on the morning of Thursday, June 1, to discover some of their car windows had been damaged.

No arrests have been made after the overnight incident, which saw as many as eight cars targeted by criminals.

Blandford Road resident Peter Keller said he had the passenger window of his car smashed by a ball bearing, adding: "I’ve seen and heard of eight cars so far which have been smashed around Upton.

"It was probably either kids walking around the streets in the early hours or a drive-by shooting, but ball bearings have been recovered from cars.

"It wasn't a break-in, there was no stealing from my car; it was just wanton vandals targeting six or eight cars in one area.

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"But what they’ve done is discharge a weapon and it could cause some serious damage and injury to somebody if it had struck them. It's a dangerous crime to fling a loaded weapon."

Ball bearing (Image: Daily Echo)

Claire Laidlaw's son had his car window smashed. She said: "We assume they were driving by and fired the ball bearing at the cars.

"My son's friend said a lot of cars had been done in in the area, but we assume they had just gone up the main road, Blandford Road.

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"I’m surprised other people didn't hear it happen during the night as it's a decent sized ball bearing that has done some damage.

Smashed rear window of a car after a brick went through it (Image: Daily Echo)

"It's reassuring though to know we have not been specifically targeted. We’ve been living here for 25 years and you don't really get gangs of troublemakers on the main road."

For resident Chris Welch, the damage to his car was not caused by a ball bearing, but a brick, with the rear window of his car completely gone.

"They took the dashcam and other bits from the boot," he said. "It's a bit annoying, especially with the price to repair it – the insurance excess alone is £115."

Blandford Road (Image: Daily Echo)

A culprit or culprits for the wanton vandalism has not been identified by the police, but residents who spoke to the Echo said they have all reported it to Dorset Police.

A spokesman for the force said: "We received a report at 3.41pm on Thursday 1 June 2023 that a window had been damaged in Blandford Road in Upton, Poole.

"It was reported that the incident is believed to have occurred at around 10.40pm on Wednesday 31 May 2023.

"No arrests have been made in connection with the incident."

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