Police are offering a £500 reward in a bid to find out who smashed 21 vehicle rear windscreens in Trowbridge on Christmas Day, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

The incidents happened between 1am and 9am along Frome Road, from The Ship Inn up to Pitman Avenue.

Sergeant James Brain, based at Trowbridge Police Station, said: “We are taking this criminality very seriously. We can assure you that we are doing all that we can to identify suspects.

“Our enquiries are ongoing and we will be offering a reward of £500 for the arrest and charge of the suspect or suspects responsible.”

The police are currently studying CCTV footage from along Frome Road to see if they can find those responsible.

A Frome Road resident, whose car was damaged, said: “It is absolutely ridiculous and a horrible thing to discover on Christmas Day. I hope the police find whoever has done this and they are dealt with as severely as possible.”

A further five windscreens, on vehicles parked at the Ship Inn, were smashed overnight on Boxing Day and Wiltshire Police believe the two evenings of vandalism could be related.

Landlady Lucy Oakley said: “One of the cars got done right in front of our cameras, so hopefully from the footage, the police can identify and catch the culprits.”

Since the incidents, the police have stepped up patrols in Frome Road, and carried out door-to-door enquiries and are eager to speak to anyone else who believes they may have been victims.

PC Sonya Stockhill said: “This is such a mean thing to do and very petty. If anyone was driving down Frome Road in the early hours of Christmas morning and saw anyone acting suspiciously we’d like to hear from you.”

Those with information can call Wiltshire Police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.