Car owners in South Ashford are demanding streetlights in their road are switched back on after vandals repeatedly attacked their vehicles under cover of darkness.

Tyres have been slashed, windows smashed, fuel tanks punctured and garages broken into in Boxley, where residents are convinced the vandals have only appeared since Kent County Council started turning off lights overnight to save money.

Neighbours are so angry they are talking about starting a petition.

The streetlights in Boxley go off at midnight and come back on for a few hours at 5.30am.

Simon Gibson, 27, has twice had petrol stolen from his Peugeot 106 after thieves pierced the fuel tank.

Mr Gibson, a support worker for adults with learning disabilities, said: “They’ve drilled a hole in the fuel tank. It’s not just about the cost of the fuel. I have to get the car repaired and I need it to drive to work. It’s aggravation I don’t need.

“People have had their car windows smashed and all sorts. They have got a blanket of darkness and they can get around and do what they want without being seen. Why can’t the council use LED lights like they do in other parts of the country?”

Retired council worker George Galdes, 78, was livid when two tyres on his Volvo 850 were slashed within weeks.

He said: “My car had two tyres cut, one a couple of weeks after the other. Three cars were done in the road in the space of a few weeks. I’ve been here since the houses were built and we’ve never had a problem like that.

“You phone the police, there’s nothing they can do. You phone the council, there’s nothing they can do. What the hell am I paying council tax for?

“I know they’re trying to save money but it’s just getting a bloody joke now. With the lights off down our road, you can’t see a human being five metres away.”

Vandals have broken into the garage Bob Fear rents from Ashford council three times and he worries it’s only a matter of time before they damage his Toyota Auris.

The retired railway worker, 68, said: “They bash the garage door and then leave it up. It won’t be long before they scratch my car.

“We’ve got no proof of who’s doing it because you can’t see them – it’s just black out there.

“Why can’t they leave the lights on overnight and turn them off at 5am? If the lights were on it would act as a bit of a deterrent.”

KCC's head of programmed work, Behdad Haratbar said the authority was working closely with police and would review crash and crime statistics at the end of the trial period before deciding whether the switch-off will be permanent.