VANDALS on a tyre-slashing spree caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to more than 50 cars in Manchester.

In some cases, vehicles had all four tyres slashed. The attacks were concentrated on Ten Acre Lane, Briscoe Lane and Scotland Street in Newton Heath.

Cashier Stacey Caul, 19, said she had been forced to spend hundreds of pounds.

She said: "Four of my tyres were slashed, plus two tyres on my mum's Peugeot and one on my dad's Ford Escort.

"Last week, someone slashed four tyres on my Corsa and smashed the back window and snapped the bumper off. I have had to pay out twice in just over a week-and-a-half."

Another neighbour added: "My car wasn't here at the time, but they slashed tyres on my boyfriend's and sister's cars. She heard the noise and shouted at them from the bedroom window and her boyfriend came down and drove around for a bit trying to find them, but they had gone."

Coun John Flanagan urged anyone with information to contact the police.

He said: "We've had isolated incidents in the past - usually involving someone staggering home from the pub - but we've never seen anything on this kind of scale.

"I just feel so sorry for the victims. These are hard-working families who can ill afford to deal with a situation like this.

"I don't understand the mentality of someone who could do something like this."

Sgt Andrew Naismith, from GMP's North Manchester Division, branded it as `mindless criminal damage'.

He said: "No one has the right to damage someone else's property in this way and we are keen to trace the people responsible.

"We have also stepped up patrols to reassure the public and try to deter any further attacks."

A total of 54 cars were targeted in the early hours of Sunday morning. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0161 872 5050 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.