VANDALS left a trail of destruction across Brighton early today after letting the brakes off 19 vehicles.

Cars were sent crashing though garden walls and into houses during a night of crime stretching from Withdean to Saltdean.

In the worst incident a couple from Eldred Avenue, Withdean, had to spend the night with neighbours after a Volvo crashed into the porch, badly damaging the house.

Det Chief Insp Graham Davies, of Brighton Police said: "Fortunately nobody was injured but it was something like the Wacky Races around Brighton last night.

"There is a phenomenal amount of damage and that is just to the vehicles, not the things they ran into."

The first incident was at Westmeston Avenue, Saltdean, at about 1.30am, when a Jeep crashed into a front garden after it was broken into and the brakes were let off.

The vandals were heard driving off, laughing, in a small black car. The same young men are believed to have smashed the windows of another car parked in Westmeston Avenue.

It set the pattern for the rest of the night.

Unlucky pensioners Peter and Violet Gilson awoke this morning to find their bungalow in Millcroft, Westdene, damaged for the third time in five years by a car.

Last night vandals let the brakes off of a dark blue Ford Escort, parked in Glen Rise.

It careered into their garden, smashing through a wall and coming to a stop by their bedroom window.

Violet said today: "I heard a noise but didn't think much of it and went back to sleep. And then we woke up and found all this mess."

As well as Saltdean and Withdean, the vandals struck in Rottingdean, Bear Road, Brangwyn Drive and the Preston Park area, during the five-hour crime spree.

At Tumulus Road, in Saltdean, a 28-year-old doctor was woken at 5am when a transit van ploughed into her garden, stopping just feet from her bedroom window.

She said: "My partner went to the window and yelled 'there's a huge great van in our garden'."

The van ran 100 yards down a hill, demolished the doctor's wall and flattened a neighbour's wall.

Edward Starr, whose home in Eldred Avenue suffered severe structural damage, said: "It was 3.30 this morning and it felt like the whole house shook and I heard breaking glass.

"Kids think it's funny. They don't realise what damage they cause to people's houses.

DCI Davies said police were sure the attacks were carried out by the same group of vandals.

He said: "I am just grateful nobody was hurt, it is just mindless."

Police have appealed for anyone with information to contact them on 01273 606744.

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