Vandals and thieves left a trail of destruction in their wake after a New Year's Day rampage.

Police have today urged witnesses to come forward after hundreds of pounds of damage was caused to property, shops and cars on Canvey.

Teenagers are thought to be behind the spree which ended in the early hours of New Year's Day.

Three shop windows were smashed - two in the High Street, the other in nearby Furtherwick Road.

Two homes were trashed and burgled and at least three cars were hit and a gas metre was vandalised in Furtherwick Road.

PC Kevin Hemsworth said police believed an over-indulgence of alcohol was probably to blame.

He said: "It is unusual for this amount of criminal damage to be caused in the space of 24 hours on Canvey.

"People had probably too much to drink and just went silly on their way home."

Published Monday January 5, 2004

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