ALMOST 20 cars parked in two Evesham streets were attacked by vandals at the weekend - leaving behind a trail of damage running into thousands of pounds.

At least five cars were damaged in Battleton Road between Saturday evening and the early hours of Sunday.

They included a white Ford Fiesta van, a silver Peugeot 206, a blue Vauxhall Corsa Club saloon, a blue Peugeot 106 and a blue and grey Rover 218 saloon.

All the vehicles were scratched on the bodywork, in some cases all along the side of the vehicle.

In one of the incidents, involving the Vauxhall Corsa, a neighbour heard the alarm being activated around 1am on Sunday.

Some distance away, at least 12 cars were vandalised on Avon Street in the town centre.

Cars were scratched and some were dented on the roof or bonnet, possibly by someone climbing on or over the cars, said South Worcestershire police spokesman Mike Vockins.

The vehicles on this occasion included a green-grey Rover 214 saloon, a red BMW and a blue BMW saloon, two Ford Mondeos, a blue Ford Ka, a red Vauxhall Cavalier, a black Fiat Cinquecento, a red Ford Fiesta and a silver Vauxhall Zafira, a blue Volvo S60 saloon and a blue Suzuki Vitara estate.

In one of the incidents, noises were heard in the early hours of Sunday morning at around 1.45am.

The police were given a description of a youth seen in the area at the time.

Police, who had studied forensic evidence and CCTV evidence, carried out a dawn raid on a house in Avon Street on Tuesday and arrested a youth.

He was being questioned by officers during the day and was later released on bail while inquiries continued.

Police have appealed for anyone who might have information about any of the incidents to contact them on 08457 444 888.