FOUR men were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after an incident in the early hours of Monday left windows smashed on five cars parked at Kingsley.

Residents in a small rural enclosure were woken to the noise of the glass being smashed on the cars parked outside their homes.

All five vehicles - a Range Rover, VW Lupo, VW Golf, Kia and Nissan - had every window smashed causing £20,000 damage.

And a bottle thrown over large double wooden gates of neighbouring flats narrowly missed a Porsche in the driveway before shattering on the gravel.

Only one resident’s vehicles escaped unscathed as his cars were inside a fenced garden but his CCTV recorded two shadowy figures by the vehicles during the attack which happened around 1am.

A police team from Alton was quickly on the scene and a forensic officer examining the vehicles had to work in a mass of shattered glass both inside and outside the cars. Some owners had covered them with tarpaulin and plastic to stop further damage from the heavy rain that night.

Monday night’s attack has left one resident too frightened to go out to the shops to buy milk and another said they feared more was to come.

The vandalising of the cars is the latest incident the residents have endured over the past 15 months which is believed to have been sparked by a dispute with a neighbour.

A car was wedged across their shared driveways and set on fire, dirty nappies were found in the communal septic tanks and lighting around it was broken.

One resident alleged she was assaulted as she walked from her house towards the main road leaving her with a badly bruised arm, others allege they have had abuse hurled at them, one a threat to kill, and another a dog allowed to run loose bit her.

On warm days bonfire smoke has forced them to close windows and doors and a recent “very noisy” party kept them awake all night.

“We have had enough” said one resident “This is such a beautiful place, there are only six houses and until this started happening it was peaceful.

“No one knew we were here.

“We have had to put up with this violence and threats for over 15 months and we are in fear of what will happened next.”

One resident, who had both her car and that of her partner attacked, told The Herald: “It will take a few days before we can get them repaired so it means I won’t be able to go to work till I get my car back.

“At the moment I am so frightened I don’t even want to go out and get some milk.”

Another admitted she feared for their properties now and a young man, staying with his mother said his car was one of those attacked but his mother had taken her car when she went away the day before.

“I will now have to meet the cost of repairing mine which I need to get to work,” he said.

After the incident police have carried out patrols around the enclosure including late into the evening.

Police said that the four men arrested were released on bail until October 5.