MOTORISTS have been left fuming after vandals sprayed 11 cars with paint in an overnight spree.

Vehicles in four streets in the Hummersknott area of Darlington were attacked between 9.30pm on Wednesday and the early hours of yesterday.

Angry residents last night criticised the lack of police presence in the area, where there is usually little crime.

Detective Constable Peter Eddy, of Darlington police, said: "It looks as though someone has either driven or walked around the streets and indiscriminately picked motor vehicles and sprayed some sort of paint substance all over the bodywork of the cars."

He said the attacks, in Barrett Road, Hummersknott Avenue, Leith Road and Pentland Grove, were "for no other reason than what appears to be wanton damage".

Victims claim they have been quoted as much as £200 from garages to have the paint removed.

Julie Ross, who awoke yesterday to find her car daubed in green paint, said: "First of all, I don't expect to pay the prices I pay for a house up here to have this happen."

Mrs Ross and her husband, Alasdair, a retired policeman, moved into the area a year ago.

They believe many of the vehicles attacked were silver.

"We never see police up here," said Mrs Ross.

"We moved into what we thought was a nice area and this is not the kind of thing we would expect."

She said a beat officer used to patrol the area, and around the school, but not any more.

Mrs Ross said youngsters moved on from the shops in the Mowden area were now congregating near their homes, yet police were not keeping an eye on them.

A police spokeswoman said the area had a dedicated beat officer backed up by mobile patrols.

Mrs Ross is now considering setting up a residents' association to give people a voice in the area.