mangogrooveworkshop
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| posted on 14/11/05 at 10:44 PM |
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Dundee s****
As reported in the Courier
PS visit http://www.dumpdee.co.uk
Poor victims :{
Vandals puncture hundreds of tyres
By Alan Wilson
RESIDENTS AND councillors in the west end of Dundee are calling for the extension of the city’s CCTV system after dozens of cars had their tyres
punctured by young vandals in the early hours of yesterday, costing their owners thousands of pounds.
Estimates put the total of cars affected at up to 50—including a marked police car—and police are appealing for witnesses after a group of teenagers,
male and female, were seen acting suspiciously near a car which had been damaged at about 3 am.
The group, numbering around 10 and aged in their mid-teens were heard laughing and seen running away from a car that had its tyres burst in Tait’s
Lane, off Hawkhill. Police say a resident heard a noise and looked out to see the group running northwards in Tait’s Lane.
Dozens of angry car owners across the west end woke to find their car tyres burst after vandals went on the rampage and left a trail of destruction in
various streets between Perth Road and Pentland Avenue.
The thugs also struck a police car at Ryehill Police Station, which backs on to the car park between Perth Road and Hawkhill at Pennycook Lane.
Cars in that car park and in Perth Road, Middlebank Crescent, Gowrie Street off Blackness Avenue and Tait’s Lane were all targeted, police said.
Alan Bannerman, mine host of the Phoenix pub in Nethergate, said it had cost him more than £1000 after his Range Rover and his wife’s Mercedes both
had all four tyres punctured outside their Hillcrest Road home.
“We were in the house when the police came to the door and told us the cars had been done,” he said. “There were half a dozen in our street alone,
they went for all the expensive cars. I spoke to some guys at Kwik Fit whose cars had been done and they said there were around 30 cars done in the
car park behind Mennies as well.
“It’s an appalling act of violence but what gets done? The police are helpless and the courts are toothless.”
Mark Lindsay, of Gowrie Street, said he had two tyres punctured on his BMW.
“There’s been loads of cars done, most of them with more than one tyre,” he said.
“This has cost me £157 to replace them.
Mr Lindsay added, “They must have gone right up the West End because there’s loads of cars sitting with flat tyres. I would say more than 30 cars have
been done.
Another driver in the same street, who had two tyres destroyed on his Land Rover Discovery, said, “They were brand new. It’s cost me £200—no point in
claiming off my insurance because of the excess.”
Mike Brown, of Perth Road, whose girl friend’s car was parked in the Pennycook Lane car park, was relieved to find it was untouched, but counted 12
cars which had been struck.
“That was 3 pm, when a lot of people would have already moved their cars to get them fixed,” he said.
It’s thought the perpetrators used darts or similar sharp tools to puncture the sidewalls of the tyres, rendering them unrepairable.
Inspector Iain Wales of Tayside Police said last night they had reports of more than a dozen cars attacked by the vandals, but admitted many more
owners had probably not yet found the damage or had simply not reported it.
“We are appealing for information on all the incidents and urge people to come forward and assist the police in any way,” he said. “It would appear
from the damage to the tyres that something along the lines of darts or school compasses have been used as the holes in the tyres are very small.
“Anyone with any information can contact Tayside Police on 01382 223200, or speak to any officer.”
Tyre and exhaust centre Kwik Fit in Perth Road was doing a roaring trade yesterday as more than a dozen people took their damaged tyres in to be
replaced.
A spokesman for Kwik Fit said they had been extremely busy all day.
“At least 12 people have been in and most of them have had more than one tyre destroyed,” he said.
“Some people have had all four tyres done. They’re unrepairable because it’s all sidewall damage. A few drivers have been bringing the wheels in but
others have just driven in with flat tyres.
“We’ve been run off our feet all day and haven’t even got the specific sizes for some of the tyres in stock.
“Some customers have said that there are at least another 20 or 30 more cars sitting at the side of the road with flat tyres and the owners maybe
haven’t noticed it yet. I think it’s ridiculous. There’s no need for that.”
Local councillor Fraser McPherson, whose Tay Bridges ward includes Perth Road and Pennycook Lane, said he was appalled to hear of the wanton
vandalism.
“I am obviously deeply concerned and worried about this and I’ll be talking to both the liaison sergeant and the community police officer about it,”
he said. “We had the shrubbery cut back in the car park to curb vandalism and I have made repeated calls to extend CCTV on Perth Road.
“If it was extended up to Sinderins and included the car parks I don’t think you would see this sort of thing happening and I would welcome an
extension of the CCTV system in that area.”
He welcomed the news that the city council is to bid for a slice of the £1 million Executive funding announced last week to extend mobile CCTV
coverage outwith city centre areas.
A shocked Riverside Councillor Neil Powrie said, “I would think CCTV cameras in the car parks is a good idea, but you can’t put them in every street,
so that’s not the answer.
“Horrible little vandals who don’t care two hoots for other people’s property should be punished hard, but if they are very young there are no
sanctions, and they know that…
“If that is the case and they are caught I would make their parents pay for the damage.”
Logie Councillor Jim Barrie said he was extremely upset by the news and expressed sympathy for the victims of the vandalism.
“If anybody needs their car in a hurry and comes out to find their tyres flat it’s really frustrating, not to mention the cost of it.
“I remember a local doctor was called out and his tyres had been slashed. If I hear any feedback or information from constituents about the incidents
I’ll be delighted to pass it on to the police,” he added.
© All copyright D C Thomson & Co Ltd., 2005
Terms and Conditions
[Edited on 14-11-05 by mangogrooveworkshop]
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dave1888
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| posted on 14/11/05 at 10:54 PM |
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Im working on a site in dundee at the moment, some kids (15-16 yo) walked in on friday and stole 200 pairs of plastic overshoes. The only reason i
think they stole them is to prevent their feet getting covered in dug shite.
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Dillinger1977
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| posted on 15/11/05 at 08:39 AM |
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little sods!! 
round our way we had a spate of car keying, which i think is even worse than tyres.. harder to repair.
turned out to be a 10 year old with an industrial rivet, caught in the act at my missus's workplace, across the road from his school.
kid admitted it to people that caught him, police and school were called.
the result?
-school werent interested as it wasnt on school property
-mother told kid not to say anything so the police couldnt prove anything.
-kids' too young to do anything anyway...
so 50+ cars needed repairing and nobody gets done.
if i'd have caught him in the act of keying my car i'd have battered the little sh.te, but that'd have resulted in me doing a
stretch at her majesty's pleasure.. 
-Rog
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Syd Bridge
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| posted on 15/11/05 at 09:16 AM |
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Shotgun loaded with rock salt! Won't kill, but hurts like bloody hell, and moreso when you soak in the hot bath to get it out!
Or so I'm told. 
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flak monkey
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| posted on 15/11/05 at 10:36 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Syd Bridge
Shotgun loaded with rock salt! Won't kill, but hurts like bloody hell, and moreso when you soak in the hot bath to get it out!
Or so I'm told.
Watching too much Kill Bill eh?  Its true though, rocksalt wont kill, bloody hurts though and will easily blind someone. A baseball bat with a large
spike in the end would probably be more effective
There are various acts of vandalism occur in our area at home. Cars get keyed, tyres slashed, several people have had walls kicked over. The one
person who caught the bastards and gave them an ear full got a brick through his living room window the next night!
The problem is we all know who does it, but its hard to catch them in the act, even then if you see them and report it, all you have is a sighting, no
real evidence. Its been suggested that a few hidden cameras go up in the trees... The people who do it dont come from the village, they used to
though.
All this happens in a village of less than 2000 people.
Sad really. But the police cant do anything, but thats not really anyones fault. They need good evidence to convict someone, and for vandalism that
evidence is hard to get. Then most of the little buggers are under 16, so even if caught theres nothing that can be done.
I agree that parents should be made to pay if their 'little darling' is caught vandalising.
David
Sera
http://www.motosera.com
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JoelP
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| posted on 15/11/05 at 11:46 AM |
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sounds like you need a more active neighbourhood watch, flak  theres strength in numbers.
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omega 24 v6
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| posted on 15/11/05 at 12:44 PM |
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Best act of revenge I ever heard of was when a person was (allegedly)held down face first and stripped. A copper pipe is then slid up his pooper and
a piece of barbed wire inserted before removing the copper pipe. This I'm sure would act as a detterrent if the courts would only allow it.
It really is ridiculous that these people can get away with causing so much damage and harrasment and get off scot free. I'm all in favour of
Yogi Blairs ideas for protecting your own property.
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DavidM
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| posted on 15/11/05 at 12:59 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by omega 24 v6
Best act of revenge I ever heard of was when a person was (allegedly)held down face first and stripped. A copper pipe is then slid up his pooper and
a piece of barbed wire inserted before removing the copper pipe. This I'm sure would act as a detterrent if the courts would only allow it.
It really is ridiculous that these people can get away with causing so much damage and harrasment and get off scot free. I'm all in favour of
Yogi Blairs ideas for protecting your own property.
I've heard about those websites!
David
Proportion is Everything
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Rek
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| posted on 15/11/05 at 02:31 PM |
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Not vandalism as such but Ive just been told here at work in sunny reading to fold the rear seats down on your car if they fold to show your
boot's empty. apparently theirs been a spate of thefts from parked cars where they smash the rear window to get into the boot. that will mean I
have to carry three bags full of all my work gear everytime I leave the car because If I dont fold the seats it means there's something worth
having in the boot... And Im "Advertising" the fact!!!!
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