Watching Paint Dry

A van insurance user, has revealed that his family are now living in fear, after numerous attacks by vandals led to their car and work van being attacked with paint stripper.

City builder Kevin Salmon, said that he now spends his nights not in front of the television set, but instead watching newly installed CCTV camera footage at his home in Wycliffe Road, Norwich.

The cameras have been set up in an attempt to catch the vandals who caused more than £10,000 of damage to his Ford Transit van and his son's brand new Skoda taxi.

Understandably, the family have been left furious and distraught by the attack, and Mr Salmon has now doubled the initial £500 reward money he is offering, in hope that the incentive will help catch the criminals.

Mr Salmon is certain the reward will help in the pursuit of those responsible for pouring the paint stripper over his van and his son's car.

Total devastation

He said: "I am a builder and I work hard for my money and am just devastated by this. I'm so worried it will happen again. My 31-year-old son, Sven, has had to hire a car costing £250 a week to carry on doing his job as a taxi driver, as well as pay hundreds of pounds a month for the new car. At the moment it's like he's working for free.

"He doesn't go out, he lives for his job. He's done nothing to hurt anyone, he's a good lad. This is just so upsetting."

He spoke of the big brother theme in his house: "The worry is incredible. We have cried and I could cry now thinking of it all. It is very stressful.

"I have had expensive CCTV installed and I have cut down my beloved 12ft conifer trees I planted 30 years ago to give clear views for the cameras.

"At night we just sit there and watch the cameras. Our lives have become very miserable and very insecure."

Mr Salmon stated that the cost of re-spraying his van would be £4,000 but the van insurance firm have written it off and he cannot afford to buy another, so he has had to buy it back from them and continue driving around in, which he says is an "embarrassment."

He said that paint stripper attacks were not the only thing the family have had to endure: "We have had broken windows before and there have been cars set alight in the area, but this attack is just indescribable, it's so personal."

He added: "I hope any response from the reward will eventually bring some justice and peace to our shattered minds at this present moment in time.

"The two bottles of paint stripper used for the attack were left at the scene, which police officers took to see if any fingerprints could be retrieved."

Van Crime

With reports of van crime soaring, motorists have been urged to become vigilante with their security techniques.

The police have suggested that drivers should remove all valuables from their vehicles when leaving them unattended - or at least make sure they are not visible to criminals.

Sergeant Andy Berriman said: If you leave items on display, there are opportunists out looking into your vehicle for items to steal."



RESOURCES
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