VANDALS have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage by pouring paint stripper over a row of cars in Old Town.

Residents in Belle Vue Road woke up on Sunday morning to find the paint on their cars peeling and blistered from the attack.

And they said they could not believe it had happened.

One of the car owners, a 23-year-old woman who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, said: "It is usually a really quiet area and we have no trouble at all.

"I am just really angry that someone could do this to my car and others along the road.

"When I first saw it I couldn't believe what had happened.

"If they had kicked the door or broken off a wing mirror you could understand it as it would be spontaneous.

"But this had to be premeditated as they had to go off and get the paint stripper."

She added: "I'm now actually a bit frightened in case they come back and do anything else.

"My car needs to be re-sprayed and it is going to cost a lot of money."

The vandals, who are believed to have struck in the early hours of Sunday morning, poured paint stripper over four or five cars parked on the road.

Two of the vehicles damaged belong to part-time bar staff at nearby Longs bar.

Insp Paul Hawkins of Swindon police confirmed that an investigation is being held.

"This is not a common method of damaging vehicles," he said.

"If only one vehicle had been targeted we might have considered the possibility it was a revenge attack, but because a number were involved it appears to have been opportunistic."

Police are keen to talk to two men seen in the area in the early hours of Sunday.

They are aged between 18 and 20, and were both wearing dark clothing.

Earlier this month the Advertiser reported that more than 20 households in West Swindon woke up one Sunday, morning to find their car tyres had been slashed.

It prompted a flood of calls to one of the town's tyre firms from frustrated motorists who were left with vehicles stranded on their driveways.

Anyone who saw anything suspicious in the Belle Vue Road area, or has any other information should contact the police on 0845 408 7000.