Yobs have gone on the rampage through Wickford and Billericay, smashing shop windows and damaging cars.

Police were amazed to see reports flooding in on Saturday morning of mass criminal damage in the two normally quiet towns.

Adrian Rondeau, owner of two shops hit in Wickford, was worried it could be the start of another vandalism nightmare for the area.

Police today promised they were investigating the spate of attacks. PC Jane Joynes, from Basildon police, said: "We are looking into what happened.

"It's really unusual to see so many incidences of criminal damage and vandalism.

"We expect to see this sort of thing in Pitsea or Basildon but Wickford and Billericay are normally very quiet."

Staff at a greengrocers and Revell Opticians, both in Billericay High Street, arrived for work on Saturday morning to find windows smashed.

In Wickford High Street Adrians record and video shops were both attacked and suffered broken windows.

Vandals then moved on to Church End Avenue and Egbert Gardens where cars had their tyres slashed.

In Market Avenue - where police have received numerous complaints recently - items were stolen from a back garden and a vehicle scratched.

Adrian Rondeau said he was shocked to discover what had happened. He added: "A big window which was smashed at our video shop cost £800 to replace and none of this is very nice.

"It puts people off coming into the town centre at night which is not good for our video rentals or any of the takeaways and restaurants.

"A couple of years ago there was a tremendous problem in Wickford with gangs of 50 or so causing trouble on Friday nights.

"The police should take this as a warning. Perhaps they think the problem is over but if nothing is done the vandals will think they can do it again."

PC Joynes said officers would be trawling through Wickford's CCTV tapes to see if they could provide any clues.

She added: "All the incidents happened overnight so we suspect people leaving the pubs are to blame.

"When people get back to their own areas they start being silly."

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