East Preston family fearful after vandal attacks

Tom Lunn and his wife Stacey have had to pay hundreds of pounds to install a CCTV monitoring system at their home in Ashurst Way, after criminals slashed the tyres on two of the family’s cars in what they believe was a vindictive and deliberate attack.

The crimes took place on Christmas Eve and on New Year’s Eve and on each occasion no other vehicles in the street were damaged.

Tom, 26, who has lived in the property for little more than six months, said he was dumbfounded as to why his car, and the car of his younger sister Antonia, 19, were damaged over the festive period.

“It’s had a huge effect on us,” he admitted. “It really put a dampener on our new year and Christmas.

“My wife is really scared of being home alone now. She has all the doors and the lights off when I’m at work.

“We just can’t understand why this has happened to us. We don’t really know anyone in our road and like to keep ourselves to ourselves.

“We don’t play loud music or anything. It just feels like we are being targeted for God knows what reason.”

Mr Lunn, who works at an electrical outlet in Broadpiece, Littlehampton, has reported the incident to the police.

He said: “When I first saw the flat tyre, I thought ‘Oh, it’s just gone down or something’.

“But then I saw a big blade-shaped slash in all of them.

“We have now paid hundreds for a CCTV camera and searchlight to protect our house and we need to replace the tyres, too.”

PCSO Karen Pereira, of Sussex Police, said: “These don’t appear to a be random attacks. We are giving the residents all the support we can and we have stepped up patrols in the area as well as given advice on extra security measures.”

Tom added: “Every noise we hear now we’re at the curtains looking out to see if someone is out there.”

He is appealing for anyone with any information, or who might have witnessed either or both of the attacks on the cars, to step forward.

Anyone with information about the crimes should contact Sussex Police on 101 or alternatively call the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.