PANIC has spread through a city community following several “mindless” acts of vandalism, as well as thefts and an alleged threat of violence – but the church operations manager believes reaction has been exaggerated.

After vandals smashed windows, broke fence panels and threw flowerpots across Cherry Orchard Primary School playground in the early hours of Tuesday, a string of criminal acts has followed nearby.

Members of Facebook page St Peters Community Group Worcester have posted a number of worrying incidents in the last couple of days, including a rock being thrown through a house window on Wednesday evening.

Another member said a group of “idiotic kids” threw a glass bottle in his direction outside Tesco in St Peter’s Drive on Thursday night and allegedly heard one of them then say: “It should have hit him on the head.”

While on Tuesday night a traffic bollard outside St Peter’s Baptist Church appeared to have been ripped out of the ground and dumped outside Lloyd’s Pharmacy.

Bizarrely, another homeowner had a “raw Frankfurter [put] through our letterbox” in St Peter’s on Wednesday night.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Battenhall Nunnery Safer Neighbourhood Team warned this week that a bank card was stolen during a distraction theft from outside Tesco.

The post said a report had come in of a man, who had approached an occupied car, “pretending to be asking for directions” and claiming he couldn’t speak English.

He opened the passenger door and put a map on the seat and was asking for directions before he “stole items from a bag that was resting in the foot well”.

“Please be alert and report any suspicious incidents,” it added.

However, another poster said an elderly neighbour’s burglar alarm was sounding earlier last week but when he called 101 but got a recorded message “stating they were busy”.

“I tried for 20 minutes to no avail,” he added.

One member said, following the vandalism she hoped police would be “taking steps to try and do something”.

“It’s most likely same culprits doing all. They do it thinking it’s ‘fun’, but they have no idea of the affect it has on their victims.

“Let’s hope they are soon accountable for their actions. Hopefully with all these reports it will flag up patrol needed by police,” she added.

Another said: “St Peters is turning into somewhere no so nice to be anymore.”

Referring to the broken window incident, the occupant said she was at home at the time and heard an “almighty bang of the double-glazing popping”, adding: “Very frightening”.

However, Tim Breed, church operations manager, believes it is more a “couple of one off” incidents and does not believe people should be too fearful.

He said the bollard may well have been knocked out by a lorry, before ending up at the nearby pharmacy and then the church car park.

Mr Breed was able to reinstall it himself and said much of the other incidents he was aware of, while unsettling for those involved, could just be school kids “bored and being silly” during half-term.

“We don’t think it’s anything to worry about at the moment.

“We have not noticed any more groups than normal, there’s a few extra kids about because it’s half term,” he added.

County councillor Steve Mackay, who represents St Peter’s, did not wish to comment on the vandalism and other crimes.

However, he said: “What I would say in relation to reporting to 101, is there are times when it’s difficult, police know it’s difficult, I know it’s difficult, however, that should not preclude people from doing so. Even if they can’t get through, then they should try again later.”

Safer Neighbourhood Team Inspector Dave Troth said: "Across the force we tend to see an increase in reports of anti-social behaviour (ASB) incidents in the week leading up to Halloween and bonfire night.

"The Control Room recorded an increase of 73 per cent for ASB incidents across the force on October 31 compared to the previous day.

"We investigate all crimes that are reported to us and our Safer Neighbourhood Team officers will be out and about over the weekend patrolling St Peter’s and the surrounding areas.

"I would urge anyone who is concerned about problems in their local area to talk to an officer when they see them.

"Always report crime including ASB to us via 101 or you can help us stop calls backing up by reporting non-urgent matters online via www.westmercia.police.uk."