Residents are feeling unsafe in their communities after a spate of vandalism around Sherfield Park.

Vandals targeted vehicles in Avington Way, where the windows of a number of cars had been smashed in.

Now, residents are calling on Hampshire County Council to turn the streetlights back on to act as a deterrent.

As previously reported in the Gazette, the county council took the decision to turn off streetlights between 1am and 4am every night, in a bid to save £230,000 in energy costs.

However, after the incident on Saturday, Sherfield Park residents are calling for the lights to be turned back on.

Mother-of-two Nicola West said she heard the vandals smashing the windows of her neighbours’ cars.

She told the Gazette: “Me and my husband were sat watching TV and I heard this noise and first I didn’t think anything of it but then there was a second, louder crash, and I looked out our garden window which looks onto the car park and saw all the windows smashed in.

“This is a nice quite area, but now when the lights go out everything is put into complete darkness and makes things an easy target.

“I have children and this type of situation is frightening for them, you want them to feel safe, by just simply turning on the lights it makes everything brighter and acts as a deterrent for these people.”

Police are appealing for witnesses who may have seen the person who smashed the car window.

Officers reported that between 10.30pm and 11pm on 17, the driver’s side window on a black Ford Fiesta, was smashed and all of the side windows of a black Ford Eco Sport were smashed in Avington Way.

The suspect is described as being around 30-40-years-old, 5’9” to 6’0” tall, wearing dark jeans and a black gilet.

Anyone with any information regarding the incident is asked to contact the police on 101, quoting 44190292353.