VANDALS have wrecked two bus shelters on Cricklade Road just days after a similar incident in Covingham.

Glass panels in the shelters near the Copse park and ride were smashed over the weekend.

Windows in the shelters at the Grafton Road and Queensfield bus stops were smashed and heaps of glass fragments left on the pavement.

The two shelters, within 100 yards of each other, double the number of shelters shattered in the last few days.

Two more shelters in Kingfisher Drive, Covingham, were damaged by yobs on Friday.

Residents spoke of their anger at smashed windows and damaged metal, worth around £3,000, in Saturday's Advertiser.

Covingham Parish Council clerk Glyn Harris said: "I am lost for words thinking of the mindless behaviour that has gone on."

Despite the vandalism, police reported a surprisingly quiet Bank Holiday weekend.

Warm weather, excessive drinking and the start of the football season usually all give the police a lot of holiday work, but Swindon police said they were pleased not to have the usual number of arrests.

Insp Paul Hawkins described the low crime level as "surprising but comforting".

He said: "There was no drink-fuelled violence in the town reported to us.

"It has been one of the first warm weekends, it is still summer and it's the start of the football season and it has been quite a relief that people have been able to go out and enjoy themselves without any nastiness."

It was not all quiet. As we reported in yesterday's Adver there was some football-related violence in Cheltenham, where Swindon Town were playing on Saturday.

Police football liaison officer PC James Neighbour said 30 Swindon and Cheltenham fans were arrested for drug and public order offences in and around Cheltenham.

A further two Robins fans were arrested on their return to Swindon train station.

British Transport Police reported 25 Town fans being rowdy on a train heading into Swindon at about 9pm and arrested one local fan for a public order offence on the platform of Swindon station.